Lok Sabha Question No. 4628 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-28
Subject: Gender-based Violence
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Smt. Rachna Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4628

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2025

## GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

## 4628.  SMT. RACHNA BANERJEE:

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

- (a) the details of the measures being taken to prevent gender-based violence and domestic abuse for ensuring women's safety in both urban and rural areas;
- (b) the details of the cases of child trafficking and exploitation along with legal and institutional mechanisms for the protection of children; and
- (c) the details of steps being taken to create safer environments for women and children in public places including transportation, educational institutions home and workplaces?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a): '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  in  crimes  against women  and  children  rests  with  the  respective  State  Governments  and  they  are competent to deal with it.

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 'Bharatiya Nyaya  Sanhita, 2023 (BNS)',   'Bharatiya  Nagrik  Suraksha  Sanhita,  2023  (BNSS)',  Bharatiya  Sakshya Adhiniyam,  2023'  (BSA),  'The  Protection  of  Women  from  Domestic  Violence  Act, 2005' (PWDVA), 'The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961', The Protection of Children from Sexual  Offences  Act,  2012  (POCSO),  The  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (SH Act) etc. Besides these legal provisions there are multiple schemes and projects implemented by the Government which 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,  Fast  Track  Special  Courts  (FTSCs)  including exclusive POCSO Courts etc.

Section  8  of  the  PWDVA  mandates  the  States/  UTs  to  appoint  such  number  of Protection Officers in each district as it may consider necessary and also to notify the area or areas within which a Protection Officer shall exercise the powers and perform the  duties  conferred.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Protection  Officer  to  report  the  cases  of domestic  violence  to  the  Magistrate  upon  receipt  of  complaints  and  to  assist  the Magistrate  in  the  discharge  of  his  functions.  However,  Conviction  of  an  accused person is done by the competent court after careful consideration of factual positions, evidence  and  all  related  legal  aspects  as  per  the  provisions  of  law.  The  PWDVA provides to women remedies such as protection order, residence order etc. under it.

One Stop Centre (OSC) is fully funded by the central government and is implemented across the country since 1st April, 2015. It provides integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress, both in private and public spaces. It also provides an integrated range of services including medical aid,  legal  aid  and  advice,  temporary  shelter,  police  assistance,  psycho-social counselling to needy women. 802 OSCs are operational across the country and over 10.80 lakh women have been assisted upto 31st January, 2025.

Under Nirbhaya Fund, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has also undertaken  several initiatives, which, inter-alia include 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 their smooth functioning 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 inculcating appropriate behavioural and attitudinal skills in the police force for prevention and detection of crimes against women and children and for proper interaction with the 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 those 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 has launched the 'Mission Shakti Portal' with all functional features on January 22, 2025. This portal aims to enhance accessibility of various government services  for  women,  establish  quality  mechanisms  for  rescue,  protection,  and rehabilitation, and build the capacity of functionaries and duty holders under various schemes and legislations.

The Ministry also undertakes awareness exercise for safety and security of women and children from time to time. Further, the Government, through institutions like the National Commission for Women (NCW) and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has 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  law.  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.

(b):   The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on crimes, including crime against women and children, in its publication 'Crime in India', which  is    available  on  the  website  of  NCRB  https://ncrb.gov.in.  The  said  report  is available upto the year 2022. The specific information on cases of child trafficking is not maintained by the Bureau separately. However, State/ UT -wise victims trafficked (below  18  years)  and  victims  rescued  (below  18  years)  under  Human  Trafficking during 2022 is at Annexure .

The Government of India attaches highest importance to the matter of preventing and countering the crimes against women and children including crimes of trafficking of women and children and is fully committed to check the menace of trafficking. The Central Government  has  undertaken  a  number  of legislative and schematic interventions to combat trafficking, protect victims, and rehabilitate trafficked women and children.

Sections  143  and  144  of  the  Bharatiya  Nyaya  Sanhita  (BNS),  2023,  are  crucial components  of  India's  legal  framework  against  human  trafficking.  These  sections replace and expand offenses previously covered under sections 370 and 370A of the Indian  Penal  Code,  1860.  Section  143  of  BNS  defines  trafficking  as  recruiting, transporting,  harbouring,  transferring,  or  receiving  a  person  for  exploitation  using various coercive means. The section outlines severe punishments for trafficking, with higher penalties for trafficking multiple persons or children. Further, Section 144 of BNS,  2023,  deals  with  the  exploitation  of  trafficked  persons,  including  sexual exploitation.  The  section  outlines  different  punishments  for  exploiting  trafficked children and adults, with distinct terms of imprisonment and fines. A new offence of Organized Crime has been added to BNS under Section 111 that covers the crime of trafficking of persons and human trafficking for prostitution as well. Section 69 of BNS related to sexual intercourse on false promise of marriage, employment, promotion or by suppressing the identity, Section 95 of BNS related to hiring, employing or engaging a child etc.to commit an offence, Section 99 of BNS related to buying a child for the purposes of prostitution are also relevant in the context of human trafficking. Further, in respect of certain severe crimes against women like buying child for the purposes of prostitution (section 99), organised crime (Section 111), kidnapping or maiming a child for purpose of begging (Section 139), mandatory minimum punishments have been prescribed. Additionally, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 also recognizes trafficking as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. Section 396 of the BNSS, establishes a framework for victim compensation scheme that mandates every State Government to prepare a scheme for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victim or his dependents who have suffered loss or injury as a result of the crime and who require rehabilitation. The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956  has  been  enacted  to  prevent  prostitution  and  trafficking  of  persons  for commercial sexual exploitation and related offences.

For addressing cross-border/ transnational issues of human trafficking, the Government  of  India  has  signed  bilateral  Memorandums  of  Understanding  with several countries namely Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Cambodia and Myanmar and some multilateral instruments on countering human trafficking.

The responsibility for preventing and countering the crime of human trafficking  vests with respective States/ Union  Territories, however,  the Government  of  India supplements the efforts of the States/ Union Territories by providing them guidelines on preventing and countering the crime of human trafficking, in the form of various advisories issued from time to time. Some of the initiatives of the Central Government are as under:

- (i)        The Government has provided financial assistance to all States/ Union Territories,  for  upgrading/  setting  up  Anti  Human  Trafficking  Units  (AHTUs) covering all Districts of the States/ UTs. Currently, 827 AHTUs are functional including  807  in  States/  UTs,  15  in  Border  Security  Forces  (BSF)  and  5  in Sashastra  Seema  Bal  (SSB).  SSB  has  also  established  dedicated  helpline number 1903.

(ii)        The Ministry of Home Affairs also provides financial assistance to the States/  UTs  in  holding  'State  level  conferences'  and  Judicial  Colloquiums', which are aimed at sensitizing the Police/ Law officers of the State/ UT about the latest initiatives/ developments relevant in addressing the issue of human trafficking in a focused and efficient manner.

(iii) A national level communication platform - Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri MAC) was launched by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on March 12, 2020 for online sharing of information on crime & criminals on 24x7 basis among various Law Enforcement Agencies and ensure seamless flow of information between them.  It  facilitates  dissemination  of  information  about  significant  crimes including human trafficking cases across the country on a real time basis and enables inter-State coordination.

(iv) The Government has mandated the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate cases of human  trafficking having inter-state, national and international ramifications.

(v)  Women Help Desks (WHDs) established with financial assistance under Nirbhaya Fund focus on making the Police Stations more women friendly and approachable.

(vi)  Investigation  Tracking  System  for  Sexual  Offences  (ITSSO),  an  online analytical tool, has been launched to monitor and track police investigations in sexual offences as per Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018 (now included in BNSS). It enables a regular review by the States/ UTs concerned to monitor the progress of  case  investigation  and  shows  increase  in  compliance  rate  from 44.4% in 2018 to 61 .5% in 2023.

(vii) National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO) is a database available exclusively  to  police.  Launched  on  20.9.2018  to  facilitate  investigation  & tracking of sexual offenders, which allow Investigating Officers to track habitual sex offenders along with initiating  preventive  measures  against  sexual offences.

(viii)  National Database of Human Trafficking Offenders (NDHTO), facilitates the  LEAs  to  search  the  trafficker's  portfolio  which  provides  crime  history, personal details,  movement, court actions, appeals, visitors, etc. Trafficker's data search provides details for prevention/detection and investigation of such crimes.

(ix) Further, with regard  to Protection  and  Rehabilitation  of  Victims of Trafficking,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development,  under  Mission Shakti  Scheme  has  a  component  'Shakti  Sadan',  an  Integrated  Relief  and Rehabilitation  Home.  Shakti  Sadan  is  a  home  for  destitute,  distressed, marginalized  women  and  those  who  are  victims  of  trafficking  etc.  and  also provides help, care and support and all the daily needs and services to such women. Similarly, the Child Care Institutions (CCIs) under Mission Vatsalya take care of the relief and rehabilitation needs of trafficked children.

(c):  To  promote  women's  empowerment  and  their  safety,  in  domestic  and  public spaces including workplaces, the government has taken several steps. Some of the initiatives are listed below:

- i. The Government of India with an aim to modernize and improve the criminal justice system has enacted Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bhartiya Nagarik

Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) which came into effect from 1st July, 2024. In BNS 2023, the offences against women and children  earlier  scattered  in  Indian  Penal  Code,  1860  have  been  brought together and consolidated under Chapter-V of BNS. The Act has introduced new provisions specifically, Section 111 related to 'organized crime', Section 69 related to sexual intercourse on false promise of marriage, employment, promotion or by suppressing the identity, Section 95 related to hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence etc. In respect of the crimes related to  buying  a  child  for  the  purposes  of  prostitution  (Section  99),  gang  rape (Section 70) and  exploitation of a trafficked  person  (Section  144)  the punishment has been increased. Further, in respect of certain severe crimes against women like buying child for the purposes of prostitution (section 99 of BNS),  organised  crime  (Section  111),  kidnapping  or  maiming  a  child  for purpose of begging (Section 139) mandatory minimum punishment have been prescribed.  Also,  Sections  75  and  79  of  BNS  2023  provide  additional  legal protections  against  harassment,  covering  actions  like  unwelcome  sexual advances,  requests  for  sexual  favours,  sexually  coloured  remarks  and  also word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman. A woman facing sexual harassment at workplace has an option to file a complaint under these provisions.

- ii. The introduction of Zero FIR and electronic First Information Reports (e-FIR) is a noteworthy advancement in modernizing the legal system and improving the effectiveness of law enforcement. These measures have removed Geographical restrictions and administrative bottlenecks in the   system.
- iii. Section 193(3)(ii) of BNSS mandates that the police officer shall, within a period of ninety days, inform the progress of the investigation to the informant or the victim. Provisions under section 398 of BNSS introduces Witness Protection Schemes, acknowledging the critical need to shield witnesses from threats and intimidation. Further, Section 2(1)(d) of BSA now enables electronic or digital record on emails, documents on computers, laptop or smartphone, messages and  voice  mail  messages  stored  on  digital  devices  under  definition  of documents.
- iv. The Ministry of Women and Child Development  launched the SHe-Box portal duly encompassing various provisions of 'the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013' (SH Act). This portal is an initiative of the Ministry to provide a publicly available centralised repository  of  information  related  to  Internal  Committees  (ICs)  and  Local Committees (LCs) formed across the country, whether in government or private sector.  It  also  provides  a  common  platform  to  file  complaints  and  track  the status  of  such  complaints.  The  portal  includes  a  feature  where  complaints registered on it will be automatically forwarded to the IC/ LC of the workplaces concerned  within  the  Central  Ministries/  Departments,  States/  UTs  and  in

Private  sector.  The  portal  provides  for  designating  a  nodal  officer  for  every workplace who is required to ensure updation of data/ information on a regular basis for real time monitoring of complaints.

- v. Under Nirbhaya Fund, Government has taken several measures to improve safety and security of women. Apart from those indicated in reply to part (a) and (b) of the question above,  these include Safe City Projects in 8 Cities (namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,  Chennai,  Delhi,  Hyderabad,  Kolkata,  Lucknow  and Mumbai) to ensure safety of public places where women work and live. To ensure  safe  transportation  for  women,  rail  and  road  transport  projects  like Integrated Emergency Response Management System (IERMS), Video Surveillance System at Konkan Railway, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Facial Recognition  System  (FRS)  integrated  with Video  surveillance  Systems, including Command-and-Control Centre at 7 major railway stations and tabs for safety of women passengers on board the train by Ministry of Railways, and projects like Vehicle Tracking Platform with command and control centre across States/ UTs, and some State specific projects like Uttar Pradesh Road transport Corporation (UPSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC),  Telangana  State  Road  Transport  Corporation  (TSRTC),  etc.  by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, have been implemented. To ensure that justice is delivered to unfortunate women and young girls who are victims of heinous sexual offences, Government  has  been  providing financial assistance to States/ UTs for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) since 2019. As of January 2025, a total of 745 FTSCs, including 404 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) Courts, are operational in 30 States/UTs, having disposed of more than 3,06,000 cases of rape, and offences under POCSO Act across the country.
- vi. The  government  actively  promotes  legal  literacy  under  the  Legal  Services Authorities Act, 1987, which mandates the dissemination of legal knowledge to marginalized  and  vulnerable  sections  of  society.  Through  this  Act,  Legal Services Authorities organize legal literacy camps, workshops, media campaigns, and distribution of educational materials in regional languages. The initiative emphasizes empowering citizens with knowledge of their rights and remedies,  fostering  equitable  access  to  justice,  and  reducing  exploitation. Additionally, Lok Adalats, established under this Act, not only resolve disputes amicably but also serve as a platform for spreading legal awareness.
- vii. Further, the Ministry of Women and Child Development also administers subscheme 'Samarthya' under Mission Shakti in which the component of Shakti Sadan is for relief and rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances and the victims of trafficking.
- viii. Another component Sakhi Niwas (Working Women's Hostels) of Mission Shakti provides safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women, with day care facility for their children, wherever possible, in urban, semi urban,

or  even  rural  areas  where  employment  opportunity  for  women  exist.  The government has also earmarked Rs. 5000 Crore during the current financial year for providing financial assistance to States for establishing working women hostel under the Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI).

- ix. Further the POCSO Rules, 2020 were also notified by the Ministry to protect the children from exploitation/violence and sexual exploitation. Rule 3 of the POCSO Rules, 2020  provides that any institution housing children or coming in regular contact with children including schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children must ensure  police verification and background check on periodic basis, of every staff, teaching or non-teaching, regular or contractual, or any other person being an employee of such Institution coming in contact with the child. Such Institution shall also ensure that periodic training is  organized  for  sensitizing  them  on  child  safety  and  protection.  Ministry  of Women and Child Development (MWCD) from the financial year 2023-2024, has also introduced a centrally funded scheme namely 'Scheme for Care and Support to Victims under Sections 4 & 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual  Offenses  (POCSO)  Act,  2012'  from  Nirbhaya  Fund  to  address  the challenges faced by the minor pregnant girl child victims for implementation by the State/UT Governments.

Governments' comprehensive initiatives reflect a strong commitment to ensuring the safety and empowerment of women. By integrating legislative reforms, technological advancements, victim-centric approaches, and awareness programs, the government has  laid  a  robust  foundation  for  addressing  crimes  against  women  and  children, ensuring justice, and promoting gender equality. These efforts signify a progressive step towards fostering a secure and inclusive society where women can thrive without fear or discrimination.

*****

Annexure

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (B)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4628 FOR ANSWER ON 28.03.2025 ASKED BY SMT. RACHNA BANERJEE ON 'GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE'

State/UT-wise Victims Trafficked (Below 18 Yrs) & Victims Rescued (Below 18 Yrs) under Human Trafficking during 2022

| SL No.   | State/UT                   |   Victims Trafficked (Below 18 Yrs) |   Victims Rescued (Below 18 Yrs) |
|----------|----------------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh             |                                  14 |                               14 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh          |                                   1 |                                1 |
| 3        | Assam                      |                                 123 |                              156 |
| 4        | Bihar                      |                                 613 |                              613 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh               |                                  26 |                               26 |
| 6        | Goa                        |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 7        | Gujarat                    |                                   6 |                                6 |
| 8        | Haryana                    |                                  13 |                               11 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh           |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 10       | Jharkhand                  |                                 129 |                              113 |
| 11       | Karnataka                  |                                   7 |                                7 |
| 12       | Kerala                     |                                 140 |                              128 |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh             |                                  91 |                               89 |
| 14       | Maharashtra                |                                  56 |                               56 |
| 15       | Manipur                    |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 16       | Meghalaya                  |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 17       | Mizoram                    |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 18       | Nagaland                   |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 19       | Odisha                     |                                 353 |                              564 |
| 20       | Punjab                     |                                  12 |                                9 |
| 21       | Rajasthan                  |                                 453 |                              453 |
| 22       | Sikkim                     |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu                 |                                   3 |                                3 |
| 24       | Telangana                  |                                  63 |                               63 |
| 25       | Tripura                    |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh              |                                  73 |                               73 |
| 27       | Uttarakhand                |                                   7 |                                7 |
| 28       | West Bengal                |                                  78 |                               91 |
|          | TOTAL STATE(S)             |                                2261 |                             2483 |
| 29       | A & N Islands              |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 30       | Chandigarh                 |                                   0 |                                0 |
| 31       | D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu |                                   0 |                                0 |

| 32                | Delhi UT          |   605 | 605   |
|-------------------|-------------------|-------|-------|
| 33                | Jammu & Kashmir   |    10 | 10    |
| 34                | Ladakh            |     0 | 0     |
| 35                | Lakshadweep       |     0 | 0     |
| 36                | Puducherry        |     2 | 0     |
| TOTAL UT(S)       | TOTAL UT(S)       |   617 | 615   |
| TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) |  2878 | *3098 |

Note:  Human  Trafficking  data  published  is  based  on  annual  data  as provided to NCRB by States/ UTs from their Anti Human Trafficking Units.

## *Some of the victims trafficked during previous years have been rescued in 2022.

*****