Grievance Redressal Committee

The Cell has been reconstituted with the following members

PREFACE

                   To address the grievances of the faculty, the students, as per the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regulations, 2012 under clause 1 of section 23 of the AICTE Act, 1987 regarding the establishment of Mechanism for Grievance Redressal in Technical Institutions, Grievance Redressal Cell (GRC) is formed in the Vikas Group of Institutions. Grievance Redressal Cell facilitates the resolution of grievances in a fair and impartial manner involving the respective Department (dealing with the substantive function connected with the grievance), maintaining necessary confidentiality, as the case may be. The stakeholders with genuine grievances may approach Grievance Redressal Cell to submit his/her grievances in writing, through varied channels like Complaint boxes, feedback, Meeting the Head of the Department or the Principal directly, email or whatsapp message to the Principal, Complaint from the Website,  etc.

OBJECTIVE

               The objective of the Grievance Redressal Cell is to develop a responsive and accountable attitude among all the stakeholders in order to maintain a harmonious educational atmosphere in the institute.

                   A Grievance Redressal Cell has been constituted for the redressal of the problems/grievances reported by the faculty and the students of the College with the following objectives:

• To Uphold the dignity of the College by ensuring strife free atmosphere in the College through promoting cordial Student-Student relationship and Student teacher relationship etc.
• To provide the students access to immediate, hassle free resource to have their grievances redressed.
• To ensure that the views of grievant and respondent are respected and that any party to a grievance is not discriminated or victimized.
• To ensure a fair, impartial and consistent way for redressal of various complaints lodged by the stakeholders.
• To advise Students of the College to respect the right and dignity of one another and show utmost restraint and patience whenever rift arises.

Composition of the Committee:

• The committee shall comprise of Principal, HODs and senior Faculty members.
•  Principal of the college shall be the Chairman of the committee.
• Members of the committee shall be nominated by the Chairperson.
• The faculty representatives nominated by HODs would be forwarded to the Chairman for approval, as the members of the committee.

Scope of the Grievances:

May be related to any of the following matters:

• Academic Matters – Issues related to assessment, attendance, marks, and other examination related matters etc.
• Financial Matters – Issues related to charging of fees, scholarships and payments
• Administration Matters – Issues related to infrastructure, basic amenities, sanitation, transport or victimization
• Students Code of Conduct Matters - Harassment and Ragging by colleague students or teachers etc.

Grievance Receiving Mechanism

Anyone with a genuine grievance can post it, to GRC along with necessary documents. The grievance shall be reported by using any of the following modes:

• Report submission in person by approaching the Chairman of the Committee
• Through e-mail to principal.9t@gmail.com
• Dropping the grievances in the Suggestion/Complaint Boxes placed in the institute premises.
• Through whatsapp to Chairman of the Committee (8500669282)
• Voice out the Grievances in the Quality Circle Committee meeting at the departmental Level
• Online submission of Grievance form, through Institute Website/Feedbacks
• Reporting the grievance to the Students Counsellors meeting.
• Reporting Hostel Grievances (by Hostellers) through complaint Note or directly to Hostel Resident Tutor.

Inclusions

Grievances Redressal cell shall receive and redress grievances relating to the following

Issues:

• Academic issues: pertaining to teaching learning activities.
• Student-teacher, student - student relationships.
• Internal evaluation and award of internal assessment marks.
• Complaint related to library and IT services.
• Grievances related to hostel - food, water, electricity, safety, security, etc.
• Grievance related to transport facilities.
• Grievances related to selection / participation in sports and cultural activities.
• Grievances related to gender issues and harassment. However they would be specifically (or exclusively) redressed by POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee.
• Grievance related to ragging; however, the matter would be referred to anti-ragging committee for appropriate redressal.
• Grievances related to behaviour of office staff/Non-Teaching Staff.
• Grievances related to delay in issuance of records and documents from office / Department.
• The departmental level grievances are attended by the concerned class Coordinators, Mentors, Counsellors and Department Heads.
• The student coordinators and department faculty coordinators of grievance redressal committee would act as facilitators to communicate and sort out the grievances at the department.
• Unresolved grievances at the departmental level are referred to the Grievance Redressal Committee of the institution, chaired by the Principal.

Exclusions:-

The Grievance Redressal Committee shall not entertain the following issues:

• Decisions of the Management, Governing body and other Administrative or Academic Committees of the institution.
• Decisions with regard to the award of scholarship, fee concessions, medals, etc.
• Decisions made by the University with regard to disciplinary matters and misconduct.
• Decisions of the University about admissions in any course/s offered by the Institute.
• Decisions by the competent (University / Institute) authority on assessment and examination results.

Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Minor Issues:

• Collection of grievances through various modes such as in person, email, suggestion box, online Grievances form, Feedback, Quality Circle Committee meeting, counsellors meet, Class advisors and Head of the Departments.
• Analyze the issue with the committee members and Concerned Persons.
• Identifying alternate course of actions and Finding the best feasible solution to address grievance.
• Report submitted to Principal.
• Implementing the solution to resolve the grievance.
• Collecting feedback from the person concerned, relating to grievance redressal.
• A meeting is conducted periodically to discuss the posted issues and effectiveness of feasible solutions in resolving the posted grievances. However, based on the severity of the problems, meetings would be conducted immediately to solve the problem.

Major Issues:

• After the receipt of the posted grievance from the aggrieved, the Chairman of GRC shall fix the date, time and venue of the meeting after having a discussion with the members.
• The meeting shall be scheduled within seven days from the date of the notice.
• All relevant papers shall be circulated as hard / soft copy to all the members on or before the date of the meeting.
• After fixing of the date of the meeting, a hard copy of the notice must be sent to the applicant (aggrieved) to be present in the meeting.
• The aggrieved should convey his or her grievances before the Committee during the meeting and the acknowledgement for having addressed the grievance would be placed on record.
• In case of a minor student (applicant), the student may be accompanied by his or her natural / legal guardian (either father or mother). No other external person shall be allowed other than the aggrieved and Guardian, to the meeting.
• The Committee members should deliberate upon the case in light of the posted grievance of the applicant and the rules to be adhered in the institute. The brief facts, evidences and final recommendations by the Committee members should be recorded in the exclusive minutes of the meeting.
• The minutes should be circulated to all the members of the Grievance redressal Committee for their signatures.
• The decision of the Grievance Redressal Committee should be communicated in writing to the applicant (aggrieved) at the earliest.

Scrutiny

Grievance Redressal Committee would make a thorough review of the redressal process. In case the committee feels satisfied with the resolution provided by the respective department/individual, then it will intimate the same to the grievant. Once the grievant indicates acceptance of the resolution at this level, then the matter would be deemed as closed.

Appeal

• The applicant shall have the right to file an appeal to the Ombudsperson within 15 days from the date of the written communication of recommendations of the committee.
• The applicant shall send written communication to the college conveying his desire to file an appeal to the Ombudsperson. The college shall place the appeal along with all relevant material before the Ombudsperson and inform the applicant accordingly. The Ombudsperson shall within a reasonable time decide the appeal. Final decision would be communicated to the applicant by the college.

Organization Wide Awareness

Awareness among stakeholders is created by

• Organizing awareness programs twice in every year (One in each Semester)
• Displaying the grievance registration / receiving / Posting mechanism on
• Web site
• Notice boards
• Posters in prominent places of the campus
• Departmental Level meetings

In view of the above, Vikas Group of Institutions, Vijayawada aims at:

• Promoting cordial Student-Student relationship and Student teacher relationship.
• Ensuring hassle free resource to have the students’ grievances redressed appropriately.
• Assuring a fair, impartial and consistent way for redressal of Grievances lodged by the stakeholders. Advising Students of the College to respect the right and dignity of one another.