Lok Sabha Question No. 3606 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: National Family Health Survey-5
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Aditya Yadav

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3606 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st MARCH, 2025

## NATIONALFAMILYHEALTH SURVEY-5

## 3606. SHRI ADITYA YADAV:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) which states that only 14% of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence have sought help and 77% have kept their sufferings to themselves; and

(b) if so, the details of the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government keeping in mind that NFHS provides high quality, reliable and comparable data on population dynamics and health indicators as well as data on emerging issues in health and family welfare and associated domains?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) and (b): The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) conducts an integrated survey namely National Family Health Survey (NFHS) with a periodicity of around three years. The survey provides data on health and family welfare and associated domains. As per NFHS-5 (2019-21) report, 14.1% of women age 18-49 who have ever experienced physical or sexual violence have sought help from any source, while 77.2% have never told anyone.

The Government of India is committed towards ensuring safety and security for women and has made concerted efforts and significant strides in recent years. The measures and initiatives of the Government encompass a 360-degree approach to cover almost all spheres of women's lives to combat gender-based violence and foster a safe and secure environment and speedy delivery of justice. These initiatives are taken at national as well as regional level to accomplish the Government's broader commitment of promoting women safety measures, gender equality, enhancing women's empowerment, and addressing the challenges faced by women across the country.

'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India and the responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women rests with the respective State Governments and they are competent to deal with such crimes. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for the safety of women across the country, which are given below:

(i). Provisions under the Criminal Law (Amendment), Act 2013 and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 have been made even more stringent 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 are to be completed in 2 months. These provisions are now part of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

(ii). With the introduction of three new Criminal Laws, for the first time the provisions about crime against women which had been scattered through the IPC have been brought under one Chapter in BNS. 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.

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has formulated a document entitled 'Guidelines and Protocols- Medico legal care of victims/survivors of Sexual violence' with an objective to bring about a certain degree of uniformity in approaching, treating and documenting cases of sexual violence. These Guidelines and protocols cover various aspects, such as role of health professionals, medical examinations and reporting, psycho-social care for survivors/ victims, guidelines for interface with other agencies such as police and Judiciary etc. These Guidelines have been circulated to all States/UTs in the country.

The schemes/ projects implemented by the Government of India for safety and security of women and children include One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme, Universalisation of Women Helplines (WHL-181), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), Swadhar Greh, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) which is a Pan-India single number (112), National Cyber Crime Reporting portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in), Establishment of State of Art DNA Laboratory at CFSL, Chandigarh, Assistance to States/ UTs to strengthen Forensic Science Laboratories, setting up of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) including exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) Courts for speedy disposal of cases of rape and cases under POCSO Act, setting up/ strengthening of Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in all districts of the country, setting up/ strengthening of Women Help Desks (WHDs) at Police Stations. The Government has also put in place Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences, an online analytic tool for tracking and monitoring of investigation. A National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO) has also been created.

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 the women facing violence and women in distress.

Further, the Government, through institutions like the National Commission for Women (NCW), National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) and their counterparts in States have been spreading awareness through seminars, workshops, audiovisual, print and electronic media etc. to sensitize the people about the safety and security of women and children and women related legislation etc.

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, 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.

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