Skip to main content

Prestigious Gujarat institute director’s alleged sexual overtures to ex-journalist staffer "tarnishes" IRMA image

The director
By Nachiketa Desai*
A senior staff member of the country’s premier Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), which is based in Gujarat,  has filed a police complaint of sexual harassment against its director.
Indrani Talukdar, former journalist and editor of IRMA’s publications, in her FIR filed with the women’s police of Anand district, has cited five instances of sexual overtures by IRMA director RC Natarajan towards her, some of them even in the presence of other staff members.
Following the FIR, the Anand district police formed a three-member investigation team, headed by a deputy superintendent, which took the statements of five witnessed. The director, meanwhile, has left the campus for an unknown destination.
Talukdar was compelled to approach the police after the management did not initiate any action on her complaint to the institute’s internal sexual harassment complaint committee filed on March 2 on some ‘technical’ pretext.
She sent a mail to IRMA Chairman T Nandakumar, IAS, Bihar cadre, and to some of the members of the Board of Governors of IRMA, after having filed the complaint before the SHCC. This mail was sent on March 6, 2017 about the incidents.
A legal question arose whether the word “employer” defined in the act meant the Director or the Board. “The committee was advised to seek legal advice on this issue to avoid any miscarriage of justice.
The interim legal view was received on March 11, 2017, according to which the ‘Director’ could not be defined as employer and hence the IRMA Board of Governors being the ‘Employer’ was expected to constitute an Internal Complaint Committee,” the office of the chairman explained.
A mail was sent to all members of the IRMA Board of Governors to elicit their view on the constitution of a committee to decide the case. This was informed to the complainant by the chair, SHCC, IRMA on March 14, 2017.
However, the final legal view was that “Director” is the “Employer” and the complaint lay in the jurisdiction of the Local Complaints Committee constituted by the District Magistrate as received on March 17, 2017.
Talukdar then wrote to the chair of the Sexual Harassment Committee stating that based on legal opinion she has filed a complaint before the Local Complaints Committee on March 16. In view of this, the SHCC ceased to have jurisdiction in the matter, Ms Talukdar was informed about this.
“In light of the fact that the complainant filed the case before LCC, Anand, the IRMA Board of Governors did not form any new committee to decide the case. The matter is before the District LCC at this stage. The Board will take a decision, in accordance with the legal provisions, after the report from LCC is received”, the office of IRMA chairman stated.
---
*Consulting Editor (Political), United News of India

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.