Lok Sabha Question No. 3370 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-09
Subject: Basic Rights to Tribal Women
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ramya  Haridas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.3370

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2019

## BASIC RIGHTS TO TRIBAL WOMEN

## 3370. MS. RAMYA HARIDAS:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: -

- (a) whether the Government runs any awareness programmes for tribal women to inform them of their basic rights and to empower them to raise voice against exploitation and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has data of crimes committed against tribal women;
- (c) if so, the details thereof, during the last three years; and
- (d) the action undertaken against perpetrators of such crimes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

(a): Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  is  not  implementing  any  specific  awareness  programme  for tribal women. However, for creating awareness on basic rights among tribal women on various Acts  like  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Traditional  Forest  Dwellers  (Recognition  of  Forest Rights)  Act  (FRA),  2006 ,  Provisions  of  the  Panchayats  (Extension  to  Scheduled  Areas) Act (PESA),  1996 &  Scheduled  Caste  and  Scheduled  Tribe  (Prevention  of  Atrocities)  Act,  1989 (POA), various steps have been taken which inter-alia includes Translation of Act, Rules and guidelines into local languages through the State Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs), conducting training  &  awareness  camps  through  TRIs,  Regional  Consultations  /  Workshops,  training  of officials of the State Governments who are responsible for implementing the Act at the ground level etc.

Ministry of Women and Child Development being the nodal Ministry for protecting the right of women  is  also  implementing  several  schemes  catering  to  awareness  and  empowerment  of women including Tribal women. Details of the major schemes are as under:

- i. Mahila  Shakti  Kendra is  aimed  at  empowering  rural  women  through  community participation.  The  scheme  is  envisaged  to  provide  an  interface  for  rural  women  to approach  the  Government  for  availing  their  entitlements  and  for  empowering  them through  awareness  generation,  training  and  capacity  building.  Community  engagement through  College  Student  Volunteers  is  envisioned  in  115  most  backward  /  aspirational districts  as  part  of  the  Block  Level  initiatives.  Student  volunteers  are  to  play  an instrumental  role  in  awareness  generation  regarding  various  important  government schemes/ programmes as well as social issues.
- ii. SwadharGreh Scheme for relief and rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances.
- iii. Ujjawala Scheme is  being  implemented  for  Prevention  of  trafficking  and  for  Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Repatriation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
- iv. Working Women Hostels for  ensuring safe accommodation for working women away from their place of residence.
- v. BetiBachaoBetiPadhao (BBBP) Scheme is being implemented in all 640 district (as per census  2011)  to improve  Child  Sex  Ratio  (CSR)  and  address  related  issues of empowerment of women on a lifecycle continuum.
- vi. One  Stop  Centres scheme  for  facilitating  access  to  an  integrated  range  of  services including police, medical, legal, psychological support and temporary shelter to women affected by violence.
- vii. Scheme  for  Universalization  of  Women  Helpline is  intended  to  provide  24  hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence.
- viii. Mahila Police  Volunteers is  to  create  public-police  interface  to  facilitate  outreach  on issues related to violence against women and children

Besides,  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.

Initiatives taken by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India for safety of women as on 19.07.2019 are as under:

- a) 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.
- b) '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.
- c) 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.
- d) 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.
- e) 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.
- f) 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.
- g) 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.

(b) to (d): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) set up under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India publishes a comprehensive report titled 'Crime in India' since 1953, which  provides  comprehensive  statistics  on  crimes  including  crimes  committed  against  tribal women. Copies of year wise reports are available at http://ncrb.gov.in/index.htm. As reflected in NCRB  Reports,  2015,  2016  and  2017,  the  details  of  disposal  of  persons  arrested  for  crime/ atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s)including tribal women are at Annexure .

*****

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3370 for answer on 09.12.2019

| Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2017   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2017   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2017   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2017   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2017   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No                                                                                 | Type of Action                                                                        | Male                                                                                  | Female                                                                                | Total                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                     | Persons Arrested                                                                      | 10266                                                                                 | 395                                                                                   | 10661                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                     | Persons Charge sheeted                                                                | 9685                                                                                  | 350                                                                                   | 10035                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                     | Persons Convicted                                                                     | 1001                                                                                  | 14                                                                                    | 1015                                                                                  |
| 4                                                                                     | Persons Acquitted                                                                     | 418                                                                                   | 4                                                                                     | 422                                                                                   |
| 5                                                                                     | Persons Discharged                                                                    | 2922                                                                                  | 65                                                                                    | 2987                                                                                  |

| Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2016   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2016   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2016   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2016   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2016   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No                                                                                 | Type of Action                                                                        | Male                                                                                  | Female                                                                                | Total                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                     | Persons Arrested                                                                      | 9436                                                                                  | 310                                                                                   | 9746                                                                                  |
| 2                                                                                     | Persons Charge sheeted                                                                | 9002                                                                                  | 262                                                                                   | 9264                                                                                  |
| 3                                                                                     | Persons Convicted                                                                     | 907                                                                                   | 6                                                                                     | 913                                                                                   |
| 4                                                                                     | Persons Acquitted                                                                     | 4062                                                                                  | 75                                                                                    | 4137                                                                                  |
| 5                                                                                     | Persons Discharged                                                                    | 24                                                                                    | 0                                                                                     | 24                                                                                    |

| Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2015   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2015   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2015   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2015   | Disposal of Persons Arrested for Crime/Atrocities against Scheduled Tribe(s) - 2015   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No                                                                                 | Type of Action                                                                        | Male                                                                                  | Female                                                                                | Total                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                     | Persons Arrested                                                                      | 13841                                                                                 | 594                                                                                   | 14435                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                     | Persons Charge sheeted                                                                | 13456                                                                                 | 591                                                                                   | 14047                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                     | Persons Convicted                                                                     | 2178                                                                                  | 87                                                                                    | 2265                                                                                  |
| 4                                                                                     | Persons Acquitted                                                                     | 5837                                                                                  | 190                                                                                   | 6027                                                                                  |
| 5                                                                                     | Persons Discharged                                                                    | 87                                                                                    | 0                                                                                     | 87                                                                                    |