Lok Sabha Question No. 4059 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: Marital Rape Cases
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Anumula Revanth Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 4059

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2023

## MARITAL RAPE CASES

## 4059.  SHRI ANUMULA REVANTH REDDY:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the marital rape cases have increased in India since 2014, if so, the details thereof, yearwise and State-wise;
- (b) whether the Ministry has conducted any study to analyse the reasons behind the marital rape cases, if so, the details and findings thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to address the marital rape issue in India?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  :  The  matter  of  marital  rape  is  sub-judice  before  the  Hon'ble  Supreme Court.  The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, in its 146th Report had recommended that there is a need for a comprehensive review of  the  Criminal  Justice  System  of  the  country.  Earlier,  the  Parliamentary  Standing Committee in its 111th and 128th reports had also stressed upon the need to reform and  rationalize  the  criminal  law  of  the  country  by  introducing  a  comprehensive legislation  in  Parliament  rather  than  bringing  about  piece-meal  amendments  in respective Acts. No data on marital rape is maintained.

Review  of  laws,  policies  and  programmes  is  a  continuous  process  and  the Government takes appropriate measures, from time to time, based on the experience gathered during the implementation and feedback received from stakeholders.  The Government of India is fully committed to promote gender equality in all domains,  remove all forms of discrimination, barriers and violence that hinder the holistic development and empowerment of women.

'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh  Schedule  to  the Constitution of India. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women and  children  including  the  cases  of  domestic  violence,  rests  primarily  with  the respective State Governments and they are competent to deal with it.

Nevertheless, the Central Government gives highest priority to ensuring safety and security of women and has undertaken various legislative and schematic interventions in  this  regard.  These  include  legislations  such  as  'The  Protection  of  Women  from Domestic Violence Act, 2006', 'The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961', etc. The schemes/ projects  implemented  by  the  Government  include  One  Stop  Centers  (OSCs); Universalisation of Women Helplines (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)  which  is  a  pan-India  single  number  (112)/  mobile  app  based  system  for emergencies; capacity building in community through awareness programmes, setting up/ strengthening of Women Help Desks (WHDs) at Police Stations etc.

Recognizing the need for psycho-social counseling to women affected by violence and in distress, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has engaged the services of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) for providing basic and advanced training under the project named 'Stree Manoraksha' to the staff of One Stop Centers (OSCs) across the country on handling psycho-social and mental health  care  needs  to  support  to  such  women.  Further,  the  Government,  through institutions like the National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission for Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  and  their  counterparts  in  States   spread awareness through seminars, workshops, audio- visual, print and electronic media etc. to sensitize the people about the safety and security of women and children and also about various provisions of the legislation etc. In addition, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Home Affairs have issued advisories to States/ UTs from time to time on various issues pertaining to safety and security of women and children.

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