Coimbatore : A committee has been formed to set guidelines to prevent incidents like the recent one where a woman assistant professor attempted to lure students for sexual favours, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department Secretary, Sunil Paliwal said today.

Replying to a specific question on the incident involving the professor of a college in Arupukottai, Paliwal told reporters that the committee, comprising vice-chancellors of Madras University and Open University will prepare the guidelines to prevent such exploitation in educational institutions.

“The guidelines would be formed in such a way to ensure that the relationship between the professors and students would be not misused and the relationship between the students and guides should only be related to academics and research,” he said.

The committee is expected to submit the report by April 23 and after discussing with Higher Education minister, the department will
finalise it, he said.

Stating that the guidelines will be on-passed to universities and colleges within a week, Paliwal, here to attend a meeting in Bharathiar University said that the institutions will be asked to set up a grievance redressal mechanism.

The higher education department came to know about the incident on April 15 and immediately asked the college management to lodge a police complaint, he said.

All those involved in the matter would be punished, Paliwal said.