Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Department issued a new circular updating the process for appointing external members to workplace sexual harassment committees under the POSH Act. The revised district-wise panel replaces the decade-old list and includes NGOs, advocates and social workers.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has issued a fresh circular updating the process for appointing external (non-government) members to Internal Committees and Local Committees that investigate complaints of sexual harassment of women at workplaces under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). The circular, issued by the Women and Child Development Department on July 20, 2026, replaces the decade-old list of external members with a revised district-wise panel of NGOs and qualified individuals across the state.
According to the government, every establishment employing 10 or more people is legally required to constitute an Internal Committee to address complaints of workplace sexual harassment, while women employed in organisations with fewer than 10 employees can approach the Local Committee. The revised circular has been issued to facilitate the constitution and functioning of these committees by making available an updated list of external members with expertise in women's rights and the implementation of the POSH Act.
The circular includes a comprehensive district-wise directory of non-governmental organisations, advocates, social workers and other qualified individuals who can serve as external members on these committees. The list covers all districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Latur and others, along with their contact details to enable institutions to make appointments.
The Women and Child Development Department has also clarified that institutions may appoint any individual with experience in social work, women's rights or knowledge of the POSH Act as an external member, even if they are not included in the notified list. In districts where no suitable NGO is available, authorities have been permitted to appoint an external member from a neighbouring district to ensure that committees are constituted without delay.
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