Lok Sabha Question No. 1616 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-16
Subject: Domestic Violence
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1616

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2022

## DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

## 1616.  SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  about  the  increasing  cases  of  domestic violence in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the concrete steps taken by the Government to control domestic violence in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c):   The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on crimes, including crime against women, in its publication 'Crime in India'. The said report is available upto the year 2021. The details of complaints registered under 'the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (PWDV) Act, 2005' are available on the website of National Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB),  https://ncrb.gov.in. As per information available with NCRB, the number of cases registered under the Act during the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 are 553, 446 and 507 respectively.

Further, '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 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 Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018',     '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  Centres  (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.

Under Nirbhaya Fund, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has also undertaken several initiatives, which, inter-alia includes training and skill development programs for Investigation Officers, Prosecution Officers and Medical Officers. BPR&D has  also  prepared  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SoPs)  for  'Women  Help  Desk  at Police Stations' to ensure smooth functioning of Women Help Desks by focusing on four critical  components,  viz.  infrastructure,  training,  human  resource  development  and response mechanism. A book titled 'Women's Safety and Security- a Handbook for First Responders and Investigators in the Police' has also been prepared for the purpose of prevention and investigation of crime against women with specific reference to the crime of sexual assault, which includes investigation, victim compensation and rehabilitation. Emphasis has been laid upon appropriate behavioural and attitudinal skills of the police in  course  of  prevention  and  detection  of  crime  against  women  and  children  and interaction  with  victims  of  crime.  Webinars  on  women  safety  with  sensitivity,  gender sensitization of police personnel etc. have also been organized by BPR&D.

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 Centres (OSCs) across the country on handling psycho-social and mental health care needs to support to such women.

The  Ministry  undertakes  awareness  exercise  for  safety  and  security  of  women  and childrens  from  time  to  time.  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  have  been  spreading  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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