Girls Should Draw Line, Says JNU Counselling Notice; Slammed for Victim-Blaming

The contentious statement was made in a circular issued by the Jawaharlal Nehru University's complaints committee.

A circular issued by the Jawaharlal Nehru University in December, which says that girls are supposed to know how to maintain a certain distance from their male friends, has elicited the ire of students, who have condemned the communication for victim-blaming.

The circular for a counselling session on sexual harassment being offered to the students of the central university states:

"Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has come across a number of cases, wherein sexual harassment takes place among close friends. Boys generally cross (sometimes advertently, sometimes inadvertently) the thin line between friendship’s bantering and sexual harassment. Girls are supposed to know how to draw a tangible line (between them and their male friends) to avoid any such harassments."

JNU Circular