Lok Sabha Question No. 1518 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Crime against Women and Children
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1518

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH  JULY, 2022/ SRAVANA 04, 1944 (SAKA)

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

1518. SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken adequate steps to stop incidents of crime against women and children;

(b) if so, the effective steps taken by the Government along with the State Governments to curb crime against women and children

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  provided  women  professionals  like Doctors, lawyers, IT professionals, women involved in the field of politics, journalism,  police  department,  film  and  entertainment  industry  to  keep Pistols  loaded  with  plastic  bullets  for  their  personal  safety  and  security; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons there for?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

(a) to (d) 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibilities to maintain law and  order, protection of life and  property  of the citizens including investigation  and  prosecution  of  crime  against  women  and  children  rest with  the  respective  State  Governments.  The  State  Governments  are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of  laws.

## L.S.US.Q.NO.1518 FOR 26.07.2022

However,  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  initiatives  for  safety  of women and children across the  country,  which  are given below:

- i. Emergency Response Support System provides a pan-India, single internationally  recognized  number  (112)  based  system  for  all emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress.
- ii. Using  technology  to  aid  smart  policing  and  safety  management, Safe City Projects have been sanctioned in first Phase in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai).
- iii. The  Criminal  Law  (Amendment),  Act  2013  was  enacted  for effective deterrence against sexual offences. Further, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted to prescribe even more stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of girls below  the  age  of  12  years.    The  Act  also  inter-alia  mandates completion  of  investigation  and  filing  of  charge  sheet  in  rape cases in 2 months and trials to be completed in 2 months.
- iv. The  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  has  launched  a  cyber-crime reporting  portal  on  20 th   September,  2018  for  citizens  to  report obscene content.

## L.S.US.Q.NO.1518 FOR 26.07.2022

- v. MHA has launched the 'National Database on  Sexual Offenders' (NDSO)  on  20th  September  2018  to  facilitate  investigation  and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies.
- vi. MHA has launched an online analytic tool 'Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences' for Police on 19th February 2019 to facilitate  them  to  monitor  and  track  time-bound  investigation  in sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018.
- vii. In  order  to  improve  investigation,  MHA  has  taken  steps  to strengthen  DNA  analysis  units  in  Central  and  State  Forensic Science Laboratories.  This includes setting up of State-of-the-Art DNA  Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. MHA has also sanctioned setting-up and upgrading of DNA Analysis units in State Forensic Science Laboratories in 23 States/UTs.

## LS.US.Q.NO.1518 FOR 26.07.2022

- viii. MHA has notified guidelines 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 have been undertaken  for  Investigation  Officers,  Prosecution  Officers  and Medical Officers.  Bureau of Police Research & Development has distributed  14,950  Sexual  Assault  Evidence  Collection  Kits  to States/ UTs as orientation kit as part of training.
- ix. MHA has also approved two projects for setting up and strengthening of  Women Help Desks in Police  Stations and AntiHuman Trafficking Units in all districts of the country.
- x. In  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  measures,  Ministry  of  Home Affairs has been issuing advisories from time to time with a view to  help  the  States/UTs  to  deal  with  crimes  against  women  and children, which are available at www.mha.gov.in.

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