The Supreme Court on Wednesday framed country-wide guidelines for the safety of women in public institutions, directing workplaces and public bodies to put clear safety policies in place. The court underlined that institutions must adopt preventive measures and set up internal complaints mechanisms so women can report harassment without fear.

The directions come amid renewed attention on women’s safety in schools and colleges. The court also took note of the need for visible policing around educational institutions, including beat patrolling by Delhi Police near schools.

The bench said safety cannot be left to ad-hoc measures and asked institutions to treat the guidelines as binding rather than advisory. Legal experts said the move could standardise how schools, universities and government offices handle complaints.

The court has asked for compliance reports, signalling that it will monitor implementation on the ground. Women’s rights groups welcomed the directions but said the real test will be enforcement, not the wording of the guidelines.

The guidelines are expected to apply to government offices, universities, hospitals and other public institutions. The court has made it clear that having a policy on paper will not be enough, and institutions must show real compliance in their reports.