- Why in news
- On 17 June 2026 the Women and Child Development Ministry highlighted SHe-Box 2.0, the single-window portal for sexual harassment complaints at work, launched on 29 August 2024 under Mission Shakti.
- What it is
- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 requires employers to set up committees to handle complaints of sexual harassment. It grew out of the Vishaka guidelines of the Supreme Court (1997). SHe-Box is the online portal that helps put the Act into practice.
- Launch of SHe-Box 2.0
- SHe-Box 2.0 was launched on 29 August 2024 as a single-window portal to register and track complaints.
- Nodal officers and Local Committees
- The portal onboards State and District Nodal Officers, holds a repository of Internal Committees and includes Local Committees at district level.
- Languages
- The portal is available in 22 languages, including Hindi and English.
- Parent framework
- SHe-Box sits under Mission Shakti, the flagship programme for women's safety, security and empowerment.
- Internal Committee
- Under the 2013 Act, every employer with 10 or more employees must set up an Internal Committee, headed by a senior woman employee.
- Local Committee
- The District Officer sets up a Local Committee in each district to receive complaints from workplaces with fewer than 10 workers or where the complaint is against the employer.
Don’t confuse with Internal Committee vs Local Committee: The IC is set up by the employer in workplaces with 10 or more staff. The LC is set up by the District Officer for smaller workplaces, or where the complaint is against the employer.
Don’t confuse with Vishaka guidelines vs the 2013 Act: Vishaka (1997) was a judicial guideline from the Supreme Court. The 2013 Act is the statute that later replaced it.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Gives women a single, confidential window to file and track complaints, reducing fear of stigma.
- Makes the Act's implementation visible and monitorable through nodal officers and a committee repository.
- Supports women's workforce participation and economic empowerment.
Problems
- Many workplaces, especially small and private ones, have not set up Internal Committees.
- Women in the unorganised sector have low awareness and limited digital access.
- Fear of retaliation and social stigma still lead to under-reporting.
Way forward
- Enforce committee constitution with penalties and regular audits via the portal's repository.
- Run awareness drives and assisted access for unorganised-sector women.
- Train committee members and ensure time-bound, confidential disposal of complaints.
Put in your answer
Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997): The Supreme Court laid down guidelines against workplace sexual harassment, drawing on Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21. The 2013 Act later codified them.
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- 2023Mains GS2 · Q12Constitutional perspectives of gender justice, with provisions and case laws
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the SHe-Box portal:
Which one of the following is correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.SHe-Box 2.0 was launched on 29 August 2024.
True. Launch date is 29 August 2024.
2.SHe-Box 2.0 covers only women working in the organised public sector.
False. It covers organised, unorganised, public and private sectors.
3.The portal includes Local Committees at the district level.
True. Local Committees at district level are included on SHe-Box 2.0.
4.SHe-Box is operated under Mission Shakti.
True. SHe-Box is a digital intervention under Mission Shakti.
5.Under the 2013 Act, an Internal Committee must be set up at every office or branch with 10 or more employees.
True. The threshold is 10 or more employees.
6.Under the 2013 Act, the Internal Committee is presided over by a senior woman employee.
True. The Presiding Officer is a woman employed at a senior level.
7.Under the 2013 Act, the Local Committee is constituted by the State Election Commission.
False. The District Officer constitutes the Local Committee.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The Government has highlighted SHe-Box 2.0, launched in August 2024 under Mission Shakti, as a single-window portal for complaints of sexual harassment at work. Examine the key provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 and discuss the challenges in its implementation, particularly for women in the unorganised sector. Suggest a way forward.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.