Lok Sabha Question No. 4445 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-19
Subject: Integrated Safety Plan
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4445

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2019

## INTEGRATED SAFETY PLAN

## 4445. SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Ministry has proposed drafting of an 'integrated' safety plan in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) keeping in mind women's safety as a top priority for the women of this country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the salient features of the 'integrated' safety plan; and
- (c) the details as to how this integrated system will enhance efficiency of services and ensuring they work well with the police and other assistance services?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a) to  (c):  The  Government  of  India  (GoI)  accords  utmost  priority  to  safety  of  women  in  the  country.  The Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  (MWCD)  and  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  of  the Government of India have undertaken a number of measures for enhancing safety of women in the country.

The Government of India has set up a non-lapsable corpus Nirbhaya Fund for enhancing safety and  security  of  women.  The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  also  implementing  Schemes including the Scheme of 'One Stop Centre' for violence affected women, the Scheme of 'Universalisation of Women Helpline' and the Scheme of 'Mahila Police Volunteers' under Nirbhaya Fund Framework.

The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has  been  administering  various  special  laws relating  to  women  such  as  'The  Protection  of  Women  from  Domestic  Violence  Act,  2005',  'The  Dowry Prohibition  Act,  1961',  'The  Indecent  Representation  of  Women  (Prohibition)  Act,  1986',  'The  Sexual Harassment  of  Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention,  Prohibition  and  Redressal)  Act,  2013',  and  'The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006'.  The Ministry is also administering 'The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection  of  Children)  Act,  2015',  'The  Commissions  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  Act,  2005'  and  'The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012'.

The  Criminal  Law  (Amendment),  Act  2013  was  enacted  for  effective  legal  deterrence  against sexual offences. Further, 'The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018' has also been enacted making the punishment for offences like rape more stringent by including death penalty for rape of a girl below the age of 12 years.  The Act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each.

In  order to coordinate various initiatives for safety of women, a separate Women Safety Division has been set up in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Further, in order to ensure that the amendments in law effectively  translate  at  ground  level,  and  to enhance  women  safety  in  the  country,  the  Government  has undertaken a number of measures for implementation.  The details are at Annexure-I .

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## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) to (c) to the Lok Sabha Un-starred Question No.4445 for 19.07.2019 regarding 'Integrated Safety Plan'

## Initiatives taken by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India for safety of women

In  order  to  ensure that the amendments in law effectively translate at ground level, and to enhance women safety in the country, the Government has initiated a series of measures as below:

- I. An  online  analytic  tool  for  police  has  been  launched  on  19 th  February  2019  called  'Investigation Tracking  System  for  Sexual  Offences'  to  monitor  and  track  time-bound  investigation  in  sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018.
- II. 'National Database on Sexual Offenders' (NDSO) has been launched by MHA on 20 th  September 2018  to  facilitate  investigation  and  tracking  of  sexual  offenders  across  the  country  by  law enforcement agencies.
- III. Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), which provides a single emergency number (112) based computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress has been operationalized in 20 States/ UTs in 2018-19.
- IV. A  cyber-crime  portal  has  been  launched  on  20 th  September  2018  for  citizens  to  report  obscene content. Further, Cyber Crime Forensic Labs have been set up in several States, and training of over 3,664 personnel, including 410 Public Prosecutors and Judicial Officers in identifying, detecting and resolving cyber-crimes against women and children has been imparted.
- V. Using  technology  to  aid  smart  policing  and  safety  management,  Safe  City  Projects  have  been sanctioned  in  phase-I  in  8  cities  (Ahmedabad,  Bengaluru,  Chennai,  Delhi,  Hyderabad,  Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai) under Nirbhaya Fund.
- VI. In order to improve investigation, steps have been taken to strengthen DNA analysis units in Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories. This includes setting up of a State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. Setting-up and upgrading of DNA Analysis units  in  State  Forensic  Science  Laboratories  in  13  States/  UTs  has  also  been  sanctioned  under Nirbhaya Fund.
- VII. Guidelines  have  been  notified  for  collection  of  forensic  evidence  in  sexual  assault  cases  and  the standard composition in a sexual assault evidence collection kit. To facilitate adequate capacity in manpower, training and skill building programs for Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers and Medical Officers have commenced. 3,221 Officers have already been trained by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and Lok Narayan Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology  and  Forensic  Science  in  collection,  handling  and  transportation  of  forensic  evidence. BPR&D has distributed 3,120 Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits to States/ UTs as orientation kit as part of training.

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