Lok Sabha Question No. 1968 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-11
Subject: Discrimination of Marginal Social Groups
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Adv. Chandra Shekhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1968 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2025

## DISCRIMINATION OF MARGINAL SOCIAL GROUPS

1968. ADV. CHANDRA SHEKHAR:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the targeted initiatives has the Ministry launched to address the intersectional discrimination experienced by women from SC, ST and religious minority communities; and
- (b) the details of outcome data from the Women's Empowerment Scheme and confirm whether budget allocations for gender-responsive programmes have increased for FY 202425?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

(a) & (b): 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility of maintaining law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities and other vulnerable groups rests with the respective State Governments/UT Administrations, who are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws. Further, for the safety and security of women, the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken a number of initiatives, which are given as Annexure-I.

The Protection of Civil Rights {PCR) Act, 1955, prescribes punishment for enforcement of any disability arising from practice of 'untouchability' and the Scheduled Castes & the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) {PoA) Act, 1989, prevent the commission of offences of atrocities against members (including women) of Scheduled Castes(SCs) and Scheduled Tribes(STs); the Acts are implemented by the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Department of Social Justice & Empowerment runs a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, under which Central Assistance is released to the States/UTs for effective implementation of these Acts.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements 'Mission Shakti', an integrated women empowerment programme, as an umbrella scheme for safety, security, and empowerment. The scheme has two sub-schemes, 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'.

The 'Samarthya' sub-scheme has a component i.e Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW) known as 'SANKALP: HEW (Supportive Action for Nurturing and KnowledgeBased Advancement, Last-Mile Delivery and Potential Realization of Women : Hub for Empowerment of Women)', set up at National, State, and District levels to empower women with aim to facilitate inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs for women at

Central, State/UT, and district levels with the mandate to create an environment in which women realize their full potential to address gaps in state action for women and for promoting their inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence through strengthening the processes that promote holistic empowerment of women by creating an environment conducive to social change by improving access and utilization of government schemes.

SANKALP: HEW is implemented in all States/UTs except West Bengal and functional in 35 states/UTs. As of now, 35 State SANKALP: HEWs and 742 District SANKALP: HEWs are functional. The details of funds released under SANKALP HEW in F.Y 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (till 31.01.2025) are given at Annexure-II.

The budget allocation for Gender Budget in the Union Budget has increased from Rs. 2,38,219.75 Crores in F.Y 2023-24 to Rs. 3,27,158.44 Crores in FY 2024-25.

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## Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred question No. 1968 for answer on 11.03.2025

## Steps/initiatives taken by Ministry of Home Affairs for safety and Security of Women

i. 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 also be completed in 2 months.

ii. With the introduction of three new Criminal Laws, for the first time the provisions relating to the crimes against women have been rearranged and placed under one Chapter in Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. A new offence for having sexual intercourse on false promise of marriage, employment, promotion or by concealing identity etc. has been incorporated. This provision acts as a deterrent and provides protection to women. Besides, punishment for gang rape of a woman below the age of 18 years, will be life imprisonment till remainder of the convict's natural life or death. Earlier, the age-limit for such mode of Punishment was 12 years.

ili. Emergency Response Support System provides a pan-India, single internationally recognized number (112) based system for all emergencies with a location-based service/global positioning service for identifying location of distressed caller and facilitating dispatch of field resources to the location of distress.

iv. 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).

v. The Government has launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cyber crimes, with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) provides financial assistance under the 'Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme, to the States/UTs for their capacity building.

vi. 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.

vii. 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 timebound investigation in sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.

viii. 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-ofthe-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.

ix. 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 18,020 Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits to States/UTs as orientation kit as part of training.

x. MHA has implemented projects for setting up and strengthening of Women Help Desks in Police Stations and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts of the country.

xi. In addition to the above-mentioned measures, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories from time to time with a view to help the States/UTs to effectively deal with crimes against women, which are available at www.mha.gov.in.

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## Annexure-ll referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred question No. 1968 for answer on 11.03.2025

## State/UT-wise and Year-wise released of funds under SANKALP: HEW

| SI. No.   | States/ UTs                        | Amount released (In Rs.)   | Amount released (In Rs.)   | Amount released (In Rs.)   |
|-----------|------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| SI. No.   | States/ UTs                        | 2022-23                    | 2023-24                    | 2024-25 (till 31.01.2025)  |
| T         | Andaman & N Islands                | 58,60,000                  | 58,60,000                  |                            |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh                     | 2,12,49,000                |                            |                            |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 3,07,17,000                |                            |                            |
| 4         | Assam                              | 4,22,82,000                | 10.71.63,00                |                            |
| 5         | Bihar                              | 3,05,01,000                |                            | 3,12,54,317                |
| 6         | Chandigarh                         | 32,90,000                  | 73,57,378                  |                            |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh                       | 2,66,46,000                |                            |                            |
|           | Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 58,60,000                  |                            | 74,70,000                  |
| 9         | Delhi                              | 96,84,000                  | 0                          | 74,35,870                  |
| 10        | Goa                                | 0                          | 30,37,500                  |                            |
| 11        | Gujarat                            | 2,66,46,000                | 3,52,62,000                | 95,36,103                  |
| 12        | Haryana                            | 1,81,65,000                | 0                          |                            |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh                   | 1,56,82,500                | 2,00,47,500                | 92,99,350                  |
| 14        | Jammu and Kashmir                  | 0                          | 7,25,01,750                | 3,17,11,500                |
| 15        | Jharkhand                          | 12,03,000                  | 1,85,04,400                |                            |
| 16        | Karnataka                          | 0                          | 2,51,04,000                | 2,47,47,000                |
| 17        | Kerala                             | 1,19,97,000                | 1.53,09,000                |                            |
| 18        | Ladakh                             | 45,75,000                  | 45,75,000                  | 59,25,000                  |
| 19        | Lakshadweep                        | 32,90,000                  | 0                          |                            |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh                     |                            | 4,95,52,500                |                            |
|           | Maharashtra                        |                            | 9,21,66,000                |                            |
| 22        | Manipur                            | 2,03,08,500                | 0                          |                            |
| 23        | Meghalaya                          | 1,56,82,500                | 2,88,56,250                |                            |
| 24        | Mizoram                            | 1,45,26,000                | 1,39,32,000                | 3,17,79,000                |
| 25        | Nagaland                           |                            | 4,51,08,000                | 1,84,92,822                |
| 26        | Odisha                             |                            |                            |                            |
| 27        | Puducherry                         | 12,03,000                  | 30,84,000                  |                            |
| 28        | Punjab                             | 1,89,36,000                |                            |                            |
| 29        | Rajasthan                          | 2,66.46.00g 3,8243,000     |                            |                            |
| 30        | Sikkim                             |                            | 87,43,500                  | 1,06,18,033                |
| 31        | Tamil Nadu                         | 3,05,01,000l               | 7,46,80,035                |                            |
| 32        | Telangana                          | 2,66,46,000                | 3,37,77000                 |                            |
| 33        | Tripura                            | 1,10,56,500                |                            | 1,36,75,500                |
| 34        | UP                                 | 5,90,28,000                |                            | 7,79,76,000                |
| 35        | Uttarakhand                        | 1,68,39,000                | 2,15,05,500                |                            |
| 36        | West Bengal*                       |                            |                            |                            |
|           | Total                              | 49,90,20,000               |                            |                            |

72,03,78,313

*The State of West Bengal does not implement the scheme.

*****

30,47,19,995