Lok Sabha Question No. 4050 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-24
Subject: Self Defence Training
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor, Rekha Arun Verma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 4050

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2023

## SELF DEFENCE TRAINING

## 4050.   SHRI JASWANT SINGH BHABHOR: SHRIMATI REKHA VERMA:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government for self-defence training for women and girls;
- (b) the details of the amount spent by the Government for the purpose;
- (c) whether there is  any provision for allocation of funds from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund for this training and if so, the amount spent so far for the purpose through CSR;
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether  there  is  any  proposal  regarding  utilization  of  CSR  funds  for  selfdefence training of women and girls in future and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): As per the seventh schedule to the Constitution of India, 'Police' and 'Public Order'  are  State  subjects  and,  as  such,  the  primary  responsibility  of  prevention, detection,  registration,  investigation  and  prosecution  of  crime,  lies  with  the  State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations. However, Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory on comprehensive approach to crime against women dated 12 th May, 2015 which inter-alia advises specific measures that need to be adopted which includes self-defence training for women to be encouraged by police.

Further,  Self  Defence  training  for  girls  is  an  activity  under  Samagra  Shiksha  -  a flagship scheme of the Government of India in the school education sector. Keeping in view safety and security of girls, Self defence training is imparted to girls of class VI to XII belonging to Government Schools. Self defence training is also given in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) which are residential schools meant for girls of Class VI to XII and belonging to disadvantaged groups.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also issued an advisory to the schools affiliated to it on the need for imparting self-defence training to girls in classes I-X of one week duration, twice a year. Self defence training is regularly provided to girls students in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalays (JNVs) and

Schools run by Central Tibetan Schools Administration, where girls are trained in Judo, Taekwondo and Boxing etc.  In  KVs,  inter-house  competitions  and  tournaments  of these games are conducted at Regional and National levels.

University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued letters from time to time to Higher Educational  Institutions  (HEIs)  requesting  them  to  sensitize  the  management  and teachers and to work out road-map for implementation of the recommendations of the SAKSHAM report on the measures for ensuring the safety of women and programmes for gender sensitization towards a policy of zero tolerance on the campuses. UGC has also framed guidelines on Safety of Students on and off campuses of HEIs.

The Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) of Delhi Police organizes self defence training classes and workshops on the request of Heads of Schools / Colleges  /  MNCs  /  Hospitals  /  Institutions  /  NGOs/  NCC/  Hotel  etc.  for  students, working women and housewives.

Further, some of the projects under Nirbhaya Fund also has provisions of self defence training to women and children, which include Safe City Project in 8 cities, Women Safety project of Delhi Police, project of Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Govt. of Karnataka on Training women for heavy passengers vehicles etc.

Various  State  Governments  and  organisations  are  also  organising  self  defence trainings for girls and women with a view to enhance safety and security of women in the country.

(c) to (e): There is no provision of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fund under the Central Government as per the Companies Act, 2013. However, Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 mandates every company having net worth of Rs.500 crore or more, or turnover of Rs.1000 crore or more, or net profit of Rs. 5 crore or more during the immediate preceding financial year, to spend at least two percent of the average net profits of the company made over immediate preceding three financial years towards CSR as per the CSR Policy of the Company. Under the Act, CSR is a Board driven process and the Board of the company is empowered to plan, decide, execute  and  monitor  CSR  activities  based  on  the  recommendations  of  its  CSR Committee. The Government does not issue any direction to any company to spend in any particular geographical area or activities.

Schedule Vll of the Act, indicates the list of eligible activities that can be undertaken by the companies under CSR. Schedule VII includes Women Empowerment related activities  as  the  eligible  activities  under  CSR  framework.  Beneficiary  wise  CSR expenditure data is not maintained centrally. However, the total CSR amount spent by various companies on women empowerment related activities during the last three financial  years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 are 435.59 crore, 452.84 crore and 374.37 crore, respectively.

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