Section 2 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
This is the second half of the dictionary in section 2. It explains clauses (h), (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (o) and (p). The biggest practical question the clauses answer is where the Act applies: clause (o) stretches "workplace" well beyond the office desk, to journeys, hospitals, sports venues and even a dwelling place or house. If you need help applying these terms to your branches, sites and travel arrangements, our employment and labour law advisory team can review your set-up with you.
The Internal Committee and Local Committee are the two bodies set up under sections 4 and 6. A respondent is the person against whom the aggrieved woman has made a complaint under section 9. Workplace has six sub-clauses, including private organisations, hospitals, sports venues, any place visited during the course of employment (including transport by the employer), and a dwelling place or house. The unorganised sector means an enterprise owned by individuals or self-employed workers that employs less than ten workers.
Source and names
This article follows the consolidated text of the Act consulted (it shows one amendment, Act 23 of 2016, with effect from 6 May 2016); later amendments and notifications should be checked. The 2016 change of name appears in the footnotes, yet the copy still carries the older names inside some definitions. Clauses (h) and (l) print "Internal Complaints Committee" and clause (i) prints "Local Complaints Committee". We use "Internal Committee" and "Local Committee" and quote the definitions as printed. Clauses (a) to (g) are in part one; clause (n) is in the live post What Constitutes Sexual Harassment, Section 2(n).
Clauses (h) and (i): the two Committees
- (h) "Internal Committee" means "an Internal Complaints Committee constituted under section 4".
- (i) "Local Committee" means "the Local Complaints Committee constituted under section 6".
So the definitions simply point to the sections that create the bodies. Section 4 is explained in our article on the Internal Committee, and section 6 in the Local Committee. The Internal Committee is the one at the employer's own office or unit; the Local Committee is the district-level body. Some HR teams also commonly call them ICC and LCC.
Clause (j): Member
"Member" means a Member of the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be. The Chairperson of the Local Committee and the Presiding Officer of the Internal Committee have their own definitions, so use "Member" for the rest of the panel.
Clause (k): prescribed
"Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under the Act. Wherever a section says "as may be prescribed", the detail sits in the Rules. The Rules as notified on 9 December 2013 define a few terms and fix the allowances for committee members; see our article on Rules 1-3 and 5.
Clause (l): Presiding Officer
"Presiding Officer" means the Presiding Officer of the Internal Complaints Committee (as printed) nominated under sub-section (2) of section 4. Who may be nominated is set out in section 4, not in the definition.
Clause (m): respondent
"Respondent" means "a person against whom the aggrieved woman has made a complaint under section 9". The copy prints the opening quotation mark and closes it with a single mark; this is a printing slip with no effect on the meaning. Two things follow from the wording. First, the term applies from the moment a complaint is made under section 9, and the definition does not itself say who can be a respondent by position or rank. Second, a person is a respondent because of the complaint, not because of a finding.
Clause (o): workplace
"Workplace" is the most important term in this article. It "includes" six kinds of place. The word "includes" shows the list is not a closed one.
| Sub-clause | What it covers |
|---|---|
| (i) | Any department, organisation, undertaking, establishment, enterprise, institution, office, branch or unit established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government or the local authority or a Government company or a corporation or a co-operative society |
| (ii) | Any private sector organisation or private venture, undertaking, enterprise, institution, establishment, society, trust, non-governmental organisation, unit or service provider carrying on commercial, professional, vocational, educational, entertainmental, industrial, health services or financial activities, including production, supply, sale, distribution or service |
| (iii) | Hospitals or nursing homes |
| (iv) | Any sports institute, stadium, sports complex or competition or games venue, whether residential or not, used for training, sports or other activities relating thereto |
| (v) | Any place visited by the employee arising out of or during the course of employment, including transportation by the employer for undertaking such journey |
| (vi) | A dwelling place or a house |
Think about what sub-clause (v) does for a business. A client site, a work trip, an off-site meeting or employer-arranged transport can all be a "place visited by the employee arising out of or during the course of employment". So the Act is not tied to the registered office address.
Clause (p): unorganised sector
"Unorganised sector" in relation to a workplace means "an enterprise owned by individuals or self-employed workers and engaged in the production or sale of goods or providing service of any kind whatsoever, and where the enterprise employs workers, the number of such workers is less than ten". The words "less than ten" are as printed. The figure ties in with section 6, which sends complaints from workplaces with less than ten workers to the Local Committee, as explained in our article on that section.
An example
Neelam works for a travel company and is sent with a colleague to a client conference in another city, travelling in a vehicle arranged by the company. She raises a concern about a colleague's conduct during the trip. Under clause (o)(v), the place visited during employment and the transport arranged by the employer are within "workplace", so the fact that the incident did not happen at the office does not take it outside the Act. Separately, Kabir runs a small tailoring unit with six workers. Clause (p) reads him as an unorganised sector enterprise; what that means for where a complaint goes is the subject of section 6.
Need help with workplace coverage and committees?
Mapping your offices, client sites, vehicles and work-from-home staff to clause (o) is often where a policy gets tested. Our employment and labour law advisory team can help you read these clauses against how your business actually runs.
Key takeaways
- Internal Committee and Local Committee are defined by reference to sections 4 and 6; the copy still prints the older names in the definitions.
- A respondent is a person against whom a complaint under section 9 has been made.
- "Workplace" has six sub-clauses, and includes any place visited during the course of employment, including transport arranged by the employer.
- A dwelling place or a house is also a workplace under sub-clause (vi).
- "Unorganised sector" means an enterprise of individuals or self-employed workers with less than ten workers, where it employs workers.
Read next
- Section 2 of the POSH Act, 2013: aggrieved woman, employee, employer and domestic worker
- Section 3 of the POSH Act, 2013: prevention of sexual harassment
- Section 6 of the POSH Act, 2013: Local Committee constitution and jurisdiction
- POSH Compliance for Small Companies and Startups
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 showing one amendment (Act 23 of 2016, 6 May 2016) and on a copy of the Rules of 2013 as notified on 9 December 2013, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Later amendments, State rules and notifications, and the position under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.