4th National POSH Conclave & Excellence Awards – New Delhi, 28 July 2026
The 4th National Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Conclave & Excellence Awards, organized by NoMeansNo Foundation, convened more than 250 delegates from across India to discuss and advance workplace dignity and safety. The event, themed “From Compliance to Culture,” brought together government leaders, judiciary members, law‑enforcement agencies, industry heads, HR professionals, legal experts and workplace practitioners.
The inaugural session was led by Dr. Rashmi Singh, IAS, Secretary of the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of NCT of Delhi, who lit the ceremonial lamp and highlighted the growing participation of public‑ and private‑sector professionals and the maturing dialogue around workplace dignity.
A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of NCT of Delhi and NoMeansNo Foundation. The MoU commits both parties to strengthen POSH Act implementation in Delhi through structured awareness programmes, capacity‑building initiatives, institutional preparedness, compliance support and knowledge‑sharing activities. As part of the collaboration, Delhi’s 181 Women Helpline will extend guidance on workplace sexual harassment, improving access to reliable information for employees and employers.
Four panel discussions examined the evolving landscape of workplace governance:
1. The Accountability Era – explored the POSH Act’s transition from statutory compliance to a benchmark for organisational governance.
2. Healthy Reporting or Hidden Fear? – questioned the assumption that fewer complaints equate to safer workplaces, focusing on reporting culture, employee trust and grievance‑redressal confidence.
3. When Leaders Shape Culture – underscored the pivotal role of leadership in fostering respectful workplaces, with Aarti Bhardwaj, Lead – DEI & Wellbeing, Nestlé South Asia, stating that policies set minimum standards while leadership defines lived experience.
4. Investigations Under the Spotlight – highlighted expectations on Internal Committees to conduct fair, unbiased investigations while preserving confidentiality and natural justice.
Distinguished speakers included Dr. Pinky Anand, Senior Advocate and Former Additional Solicitor General of India, who reflected on the evolution of the POSH framework, and Dr. Pavan Duggal, Senior Advocate and cyber‑law expert, who discussed emerging legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence, deepfakes, digital evidence and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
The conclave concluded with a valedictory address by Hon’ble Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court. Justice Singh reflected on the evolution of the POSH Act, landmark judicial pronouncements and India’s progress in strengthening workplace dignity through fairness, procedural integrity and natural justice, situating India’s legislative journey within the broader global discourse on workplace harassment laws.
During the valedictory session, Justice Singh released The Grey Files, a fictional legal novel authored by Vishal Bhasin, Co‑Founder of NoMeansNo Foundation. The novel presents ten complex POSH inquiries in a narrative format, guiding readers through each stage of a workplace investigation—from complaint receipt and evidence evaluation to ethical dilemmas, procedural fairness, decision‑making and institutional learning—aimed at making investigations accessible to HR professionals, Internal Committee members, legal practitioners and organisational leaders.
Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Smt. Annapurna Devi, could not attend due to official commitments but sent a video message congratulating award recipients, praising NoMeansNo Foundation for creating a credible national platform that unites government institutions, the judiciary, employers, investigators and practitioners to enhance awareness, capacity‑building and meaningful dialogue on effective POSH Act implementation.
NoMeansNo Foundation, a leading Indian organisation dedicated to workplace safety and dignity, continues to advance the POSH Act’s effective implementation through awareness programmes, capacity‑building, workplace investigations, policy advisory, Internal Committee training, External Member services, research and thought leadership, collaborating with government bodies, industry associations and organisations across sectors.