Lok Sabha Question No. 1 (STARRED), answered on 2018-12-11
Subject: Violence against Minor Girl
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *1

TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  THE  11 th   DECEMBER,  2018  /  AGRAHAYANA  20,  1940 (SAKA)

VIOLENCE AGAINST MINOR GIRLS

*1. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that two cases of rape of minor girls are reported every hour in the country;

- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) whether the conviction rate in such cases is low at around 28 per cent in the country, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(d)  whether  there  is  any  monitoring  mechanism  to  keep  a  check on corporal punishment, the most commonly experienced form of violence against minor girls across the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to protect minor girls from such heinous crime in the country along with the achievements thereof?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *1 FOR 11.12.2018

(a) & (b): As per the latest available information published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the details regarding cases of rape of children (below the  age  of  18  years)  registered  under  sections  4  &  6  of  the  Protection  of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 read with section 376 Indian Penal Code from 2014 to 2016 are as below:

|   Year |   Cases registered |
|--------|--------------------|
|   2014 |              18661 |
|   2015 |              19654 |
|   2016 |              19765 |

NCRB does not maintain data in respect of rape of minor girls separately.

The increase in the number of cases being reported may be inter-alia, due to provision  of  punishment  of  six  months  extendable  to  two  years  for  nonregistration of FIRs in cases of crimes against women which was incorporated in the law through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, advisories issued by MHA in the matter to States, sensitization of police and public awareness on lodging of cases.

(c): The conviction rate for offences under sections 4 & 6 of POCSO Act, 2012 read  with  section  376  Indian  Penal  Code  was  28.2  percent  during  2016.  The reasons for this may include witnesses turning hostile, lengthy legal processes, delay in reporting resulting in loss of forensic evidence etc.

## L.S.S.Q NO. *1 FOR 11.12.2018

(d): National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  is  the monitoring authority for child's right to education under the Right to Education (RTE)  Act,  2009.  NCPCR  has  formulated  Guidelines  for  Eliminating  Corporal Punishment in Schools and the same are available at: http://ncpcr.gov.in/showfile.php?lid=153

As  part  of  its  monitoring  role,  NCPCR  also  conducts  workshops  for  creating awareness of different stakeholders regarding section 17 of RTE Act, 2009 and the guidelines on eliminating corporal punishment in schools.

Ministry of Human Resource Development has also issued Advisory dated 26 th March,  2014,  under  section  35(1)  of  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory (RTE) Act, 2009 for elimination of corporal punishment in schools. Further, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued circular dated 12/09/2017 for safety of children in schools. The circular inter-alia makes provision for ban on corporal punishment in schools.

(e): Several  measures  have  been  taken  for  enhancing  the  safety  of  women and children. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, provides for enhanced punishment for crimes such as rape including provision of death penalty for the offence of rape on women below 12 years; completion of investigation, filing of charge  sheet  and  trial  in rape  cases  in  2  months  and  appeals  against

## L.S.S.Q NO. *1 FOR 11.12.2018

conviction  or  acquittal  to  be  disposed  of  within  6  months.  The  other  steps taken  in  this  regard  include  modernization  and  capacity  building  of  forensic labs for faciliting timely investigation, development of a National Database on Sexual  Offenders  to  facilitate  investigation  and  tracking  of  Sexual  Offenders across the country, a project for developing an Emergency Response Support System  based  on  a  Pan-India  24x7  Helpline  Number  112  and  a  scheme  for setting up One Stop Centre in every district across the country.

In  addition,  the  NCPCR  has  launched  POCSO  e-Box/e-mail/sms  on  NCPCR website for easy and direct reporting of POCSO cases to the Commission. Apart from development of manuals such as the manual on 'Guidelines on Safety and Security  of  children  in  school  settings',  it  has  conducted  POCSO  Awareness Campaigns.

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