Kerala POSH Portal — What It Is, Why It Exists, and Who Must Register

If you are an employer in Kerala, you may have heard about the Kerala POSH Portal — the official online compliance platform at posh.wcd.kerala.gov.in — maintained by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of Kerala.

Many employers do not know this portal exists. Many who know about it do not know that registration is mandatory. This article explains exactly what the portal is, why the Government of Kerala created it, and who is legally required to register.

Kerala POSH Portal homepage at posh.wcd.kerala.gov.in —

maintained by WCD Kerala and developed by C-DIT, Government of Kerala.

What Is the Kerala POSH Portal?

The Kerala POSH Portal is an online compliance platform launched by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Kerala. It is accessible at posh.wcd.kerala.gov.in and is developed and maintained by C-DIT (Centre for Development of Imaging Technology), Government of Kerala.

The portal is the State Government's official system for monitoring the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 — the POSH Act — across Kerala.

Through the portal, employers submit their Internal Committee (IC) details, compliance status, and annual reports directly to the WCD Kerala. District Collectorate officials submit Local Committee details and reports for their respective districts.

In short — the Kerala POSH Portal is how the Government of Kerala knows whether your organisation is POSH compliant.

What Is the Legal Basis for This Portal?

The Kerala POSH Portal is established under Section 23 of the POSH Act, 2013, which places a duty on the appropriate government to monitor implementation of the Act and maintain compliance data.

Section 23 of the POSH Act requires the appropriate government to:

• Develop relevant policies, guidelines, and programmes to advance the objects of the Act

• Take measures to ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act

• Develop a system of monitoring whether the provisions of the Act are being complied with

The Department of Women and Child Development, Kerala is the nodal agency for implementing the POSH Act in Kerala. Earlier this responsibility was held by the Department of Social Justice — it now rests with WCD Kerala. WCD Officers are empowered under the Act to enforce its provisions across the state.

The portal is Kerala's implementation of the Section 23 monitoring mandate — making POSH compliance visible, traceable, and centrally monitored at the state level.

Why Did Kerala Create This Portal?

Two developments made this portal necessary and inevitable.

First — the Supreme Court's directions in Aureliano Fernandes v. State of Goa (2023).

In this landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India issued detailed directions on POSH Act implementation across the country. The Court specifically directed States and Union Territories to initiate portal-based monitoring systems — similar to the Central Government's SHe-Box portal — to enable centralised oversight of POSH compliance. The Court made it clear that paper-based, self-reported compliance was insufficient. Active state-level monitoring was required.

The Kerala POSH Portal is Kerala's response to this Supreme Court direction.

Second — the gap between legal obligation and actual compliance on the ground.

Despite the POSH Act being in force since 2013, a large number of organisations in Kerala had either not constituted an Internal Committee, or had constituted one only on paper. ICs were not being trained. Annual reports were not being filed. The portal provides WCD Kerala with a mechanism to identify non-compliant organisations, track IC reconstitution deadlines, and monitor complaint disposal timelines — at scale, across all 14 districts.

What Does the Portal Do?

The Kerala POSH Portal is not a complaint filing platform. Complaints are not filed through this portal. For filing complaints, employees continue to use the Central Government's SHe-Box portal (shebox.wcd.gov.in) or approach their organisation's Internal Committee or the District Local Committee directly.

The Kerala POSH Portal is specifically a compliance monitoring and data submission platform. It does the following:

For registered organisations:

• Records IC constitution details — member names, designations, and term dates

• Tracks annual report submissions — complaints received, disposed of, and pending

• Records training sessions conducted each year

• Sends automatic alerts when your IC's 3-year term is approaching expiry

• Sends deadline reminders for annual report filing

For WCD Kerala:

• Provides a district-wise and sector-wise view of POSH compliance across Kerala

• Enables identification of organisations that have not constituted an IC

• Monitors IC reconstitution compliance

• Tracks complaint disposal timelines across all registered organisations

In essence — the portal converts POSH compliance from a self-declared obligation into a monitored, government-visible record.

Who Must Register?

Every employer or head of establishment in Kerala with 10 or more employees is required to register on the Kerala POSH Portal and submit their IC details.

The portal has registration categories for:

• Government departments and offices — both State and Central

• Private schools, offices, establishments, and organisations

• Co-operative societies

• Government autonomous bodies, aided schools, and colleges

• Quasi-government organisations

• Entertainment and media organisations

Both government and private organisations must register. There is no exemption based on sector, industry type, or legal form of organisation.

Who Counts as an "Employee" for This Purpose?

The POSH Act's definition of "employee" is deliberately broad. It includes any person employed at a workplace — whether on a regular, temporary, ad hoc, or daily wage basis. It includes persons employed directly or through an agent, whether for remuneration or not, and whether or not the employment is formal or informal.

This means you must count:

• Permanent and full-time employees

• Temporary and contractual staff

• Daily wage workers

• Volunteers receiving any form of benefit or remuneration

• Interns and trainees

• Persons engaged through contractors or third-party agencies

Even if no women are currently employed at your workplace — registration is still required if you employ 10 or more persons. The obligation to constitute an IC and register exists because a woman may join your workforce in the future. The framework must be in place before she joins, not after a complaint arises.

What Happens If You Do Not Register?

Non-registration is not a minor administrative gap. The Department of Women and Child Development, Kerala has issued directions requiring all eligible organisations to register on the portal. Failure to comply with a lawful direction of a WCD officer carries consequences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for non-compliance with a public officer's lawful direction.

Additionally, under Section 26 of the POSH Act — non-compliance with the Act's provisions carries a fine of up to ₹50,000 for a first offence. Repeat violations attract double the penalty and potential cancellation of your business registration, licence, or government approvals.

As WCD Kerala strengthens enforcement monitoring through the portal, unregistered organisations will become increasingly visible to district-level WCD Officers and Labour Department inspection teams. Non-registration is no longer a safe position to be in.

Need Help With POSH Portal Registration or IC Compliance?

FIO Foundation is Kerala's dedicated POSH Act training and compliance organisation — SHe-Box / WCD Empanelled. We assist Kerala organisations with:

• POSH Portal registration guidance

• IC formation — written appointment orders and composition review

• External IC member services — FIO Foundation, as an NGO committed to the cause of women, is eligible to serve as the external member under Section 4(2)(c) of the POSH Act, 2013

• Annual report preparation and portal submission

• Employee awareness training and IC training across all 14 Kerala districts

📞 +91 99617 71711 🌐 fiofoundation.org 📧 connect@fiofoundation.org

WhatsApp us with "POSH Portal" and we will guide you.