Setting Up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws · Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

Duties of Government and District Officer and Annual Reporting under POSH Act

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Under the POSH Act, 2013, the appropriate Government publicises the Act, trains Local Committee members, monitors implementation and keeps case data. The District Officer monitors Local Committee reports and engages NGOs for awareness. Each committee files an annual report with the employer and District Officer, who forwards a brief report to the State Government.

Understand Duties of Government and District Officer; Annual Reporting

The POSH Act does not stop at the workplace. It builds a chain of reporting from the committee to the employer, then to the District Officer, then to the State Government. This chain lets the Government see how many cases are filed and how they end.

The appropriate Government has a promotional and supervisory role. Under section 24 it may, subject to financial and other resources, develop information, education, communication and training materials and run awareness programmes. It may also frame orientation and training programmes for Local Committee members. Note the word "may". It is not a fixed duty. Under section 23 it "shall" monitor implementation and maintain data on cases filed and disposed of. Under section 25 it can call for information and have records and the workplace inspected.

The District Officer is a District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector or Deputy Collector, notified for every District under section 5. Under section 20 the District Officer monitors the timely submission of reports by the Local Committee and takes necessary measures to engage non-governmental organisations for creating awareness on sexual harassment and women's rights.

For annual reporting, section 21 requires the Internal Committee or Local Committee to prepare an annual report in each calendar year, in the prescribed form and time. It goes to the employer and the District Officer. The District Officer then forwards a brief report on the reports received to the State Government. Section 22 requires the employer to include the number of cases filed and their disposal in the organisation's annual report. If no annual report is required, the employer tells the District Officer the number of cases. Section 19(j) also makes the employer monitor timely submission of reports by the Internal Committee.

Key rules to remember

Appropriate Government: publicity and training (section 24): May (subject to resources): develop IEC and training materials, run awareness programmes, frame orientation programmes for Local Committee members; Permissive, not mandatory. The training programmes named are for Local Committee members.
Appropriate Government: monitoring (section 23): Shall monitor implementation and maintain data on cases filed and disposed of; This is a mandatory duty, unlike section 24.
Power to call for information and inspect (section 25): Order in writing, public interest or interest of women employees: call for information from employer or District Officer; authorise officer to inspect records and workplace; The inspecting officer reports within the period set in the order. Employer and District Officer must produce records on demand.
District Officer (sections 5 and 20): Notified District Magistrate / Additional District Magistrate / Collector / Deputy Collector; monitors Local Committee reports; engages NGOs for awareness; Section 20 says monitor timely submission of reports by the Local Committee.
Committee annual report (section 21(1)): ICC or LC: annual report each calendar year, in prescribed form and time, to employer and District Officer; Form and time are fixed by rules under section 29(2)(m).
District Officer to State Government (section 21(2)): District Officer forwards a brief report on annual reports received to the State Government; It is a brief report, not a full copy of each report.
Employer's reporting (section 22): Include number of cases filed and their disposal in the organisation's annual report; if none is required, intimate the number to the District Officer; If there were no cases, the figures are stated only 'if any'.

How to solve Duties of Government and District Officer; Annual Reporting questions

Questions on this topic are usually short-answer or problem-based. Identify who acts, what they must do and to whom they report.

1Identify the actor in the question: appropriate Government, District Officer, committee (ICC or LC) or employer.
2Recall the section for that actor: 23, 24 and 25 for Government, 5 and 20 for the District Officer, 21 for committees, 22 and 19(j) for the employer.
3Note whether the provision says "shall" or "may". Section 24 is "may"; sections 20, 21, 22 and 23 are "shall".
4Trace the reporting chain: committee, then employer and District Officer, then State Government.
5Apply the facts: check the calendar year, who received the report, and what the employer put in its own annual report.
6Conclude clearly, citing the section, and state what the actor must do or whether the action is valid.

Quickest way: Chain-and-section recall

When to use it: Use when you have little time and the question asks who must report or do what.

Write the chain: ICC/LC → employer + District Officer → State Government.
Attach one section to each link: 21(1), 22, 21(2).
Add the Government's four tools: awareness (24), training of LC members (24), monitoring and data (23), inspection (25).
Add the District Officer's two tasks: monitor LC reports and engage NGOs (20).
Write the conclusion in one line with the section number.

Common mistakes in Duties of Government and District Officer; Annual Reporting

Saying the appropriate Government must always run awareness programmes.
Students remember the content of section 24 but miss the word "may" and the phrase "subject to availability of financial and other resources".
Fix: Write that section 24 is enabling and subject to resources, while section 23 monitoring is mandatory.
Saying the District Officer monitors Internal Committee reports.
Students mix section 20 with section 19(j).
Fix: The District Officer monitors the Local Committee under section 20. The employer monitors the Internal Committee under section 19(j).
Saying the annual report goes only to the employer.
The employer is the more familiar authority in the Act.
Fix: Section 21(1) says the report is submitted to both the employer and the District Officer.
Saying the committee sends its annual report directly to the State Government.
Students skip the District Officer in the chain.
Fix: Under section 21(2), the District Officer forwards a brief report to the State Government.
Thinking the employer files a separate report with the District Officer in every case.
Section 22 has two alternatives and students merge them.
Fix: The employer includes the case numbers in its own annual report. Only where no such report is required does it intimate the number to the District Officer.
Stating the prescribed form and time of the annual report from the Act itself.
Students assume the Act lays out the contents.
Fix: Section 21(1) leaves the form and time to be prescribed. Section 29(2)(m) lets the Central Government make rules on this.

Worked examples

Example 1

Explain the role of the District Officer under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Show the solution

Provision: Section 5 allows the appropriate Government to notify a District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector or Deputy Collector as District Officer for every District.
Section 20 gives two duties: monitor the timely submission of reports furnished by the Local Committee, and take necessary measures to engage non-governmental organisations for creating awareness on sexual harassment and women's rights.
Section 21(1): the Local Committee submits its annual report to the District Officer, among others.
Section 21(2): the District Officer forwards a brief report on the annual reports received to the State Government.
Section 22: where an employer has no annual report in which to include case numbers, it intimates the number of cases to the District Officer.
Section 25 also allows the appropriate Government to call for information from the District Officer, who must produce records on demand.

Answer: The District Officer is a notified senior district official who monitors Local Committee reports, engages NGOs for awareness, receives annual reports and employer intimations, and forwards a brief report to the State Government.

Example 2

Sundaram Textiles Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore, has an Internal Committee. It prepared its annual report for the calendar year and gave it only to the HR head. The company's own annual report does not mention the number of sexual harassment cases filed or disposed of. Advise the company.

Show the solution

Provision: Section 21(1) requires the Internal Committee to prepare an annual report in each calendar year, in the prescribed form and time, and submit it to the employer and the District Officer.
Analysis: The committee gave the report only within the company. The District Officer did not receive it. This does not meet section 21(1).
Section 22 requires the employer to include the number of cases filed, if any, and their disposal in the organisation's annual report. The company's annual report omits this, so the requirement is not met.
Where no annual report is required to be prepared, the employer must instead intimate the number of cases to the District Officer.
Under section 19(j), the employer must monitor timely submission of reports by the Internal Committee, so the company should ensure this is done.
Under section 25, the appropriate Government can call for information or inspect records, so non-compliance carries risk.

Answer: The company has not complied. The Internal Committee must send its annual report to the employer and the District Officer under section 21(1), and the company must include the case numbers and their disposal in its annual report under section 22, or intimate them to the District Officer if no such report is required.

Exam tips

Learn the chain committee → employer and District Officer → State Government. Most questions test one link of it.
Contrast section 23 (shall monitor and keep data) with section 24 (may publicise, subject to resources). Examiners like this distinction.
Keep section 19(j) (employer monitors ICC reports) and section 20 (District Officer monitors LC reports) separate.
Do not invent contents for the annual report. Say the form and time are prescribed, and mention the employer's duty to give case numbers and disposal.
In case-based answers, end with a clear conclusion that names the section breached or satisfied.

Practice questions from Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

Duties of Government and District Officer; Annual Reporting: frequently asked questions

What are the duties of the appropriate Government under the POSH Act?

It shall monitor implementation and maintain data on cases filed and disposed of (section 23). It may develop awareness and training materials and programmes, and train Local Committee members, subject to resources (section 24). It can also call for information and inspect records and workplaces (section 25).

Who receives the annual report of the ICC under the POSH Act?

The Internal Committee submits its annual report, prepared each calendar year, to the employer and the District Officer under section 21(1). The form and time are as prescribed by the rules.

What does the employer have to report about cases?

Under section 22, the employer includes the number of cases filed, if any, and their disposal in the organisation's annual report. If no such report is required, the employer intimates the number to the District Officer.

Who is the District Officer under the POSH Act?

The appropriate Government may notify a District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector or Deputy Collector as District Officer for every District under section 5. The District Officer works under section 20 and section 21(2).

Does the Act list what the annual report must contain?

No. Section 21(1) says the report is prepared in such form and at such time as may be prescribed. The Central Government can make rules on this under section 29(2)(m).