An Internal Committee, or IC, is the body every workplace covered by the POSH Act must constitute to receive and investigate sexual harassment complaints.

Required composition, and what it actually does

An IC needs at least four members: a Presiding Officer, a senior-level woman employee, at least two employee members committed to the cause of women or with relevant legal or social-work experience, and one external member from an NGO or association working on women’s rights, or with relevant legal expertise. The external member isn’t optional, courts have held an IC without a properly constituted external member isn’t validly formed, which can invalidate its findings. At least half the members should be women. Once a complaint is received, the IC conducts a formal inquiry with powers equivalent to a civil court, summoning witnesses, calling for documents, and must complete that inquiry within 90 days. The employer then has 60 days from receiving the IC’s report to act on its recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Internal Committee the same as a general HR grievance committee?

No, an IC has specific statutory composition and quasi-judicial powers a standard HR grievance process doesn’t have.

What happens if an IC misses the 90-day inquiry deadline?

It undermines the process and can expose the employer to scrutiny, timely completion is treated as a genuine compliance expectation, not a soft guideline.

Can a company skip the external member requirement?

No, doing so risks the IC’s findings being challenged as invalid, courts have taken this requirement seriously.

See the full POSH Act obligations this committee sits inside.