Lok Sabha Question No. 5532 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Domestic Violence
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Adhikari Soumendu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 5532

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026

## DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

## 5532.  SHRI ADHIKARI SOUMENDU:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the cases of domestic violence have increased to over 30 per cent of all crimes in India, if so, the details of domestic violence on women, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)  and  older  adults  reported  in  India  since  2022,  State-wise,  year-wise  and category-wise;
- (b) the details of action taken by the Government for stronger implementation of laws, better  support  systems  and  a  renewed  societal  commitment  to  honouring  and safeguarding India's elders, particularly as the country has been experiencing a steady increase in its ageing population in the country;
- (c) whether the Government has any plan to setup permanent old age home and shelter for distressed women under 'Mission Shakti', which merges 'Swadhar Greh' (shelter for women in difficult circumstances) and 'Ujjawala Homes' (Trafficking Prevention) into 'Shakti Sadan' under the district Government observers with the help of CSRprojects and other development funds; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)    The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  compiles  and  publishes  data  on  crimes, including crimes against women, in its publication 'Crime in India', which provides detailed State-wise and categorywise statistics is available on the NCRB's  official website (https://ncrb.gov.in).

The latest report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), provides data for the period 2019-2021, which reveals that the percentage of ever-married women aged 18-49 years who have  ever  experienced  spousal  violence  (physical  and/  or  sexual  violence)  has  reduced  to 29.3% as compared to 31.2% reported in NFHS-4 for the period 2015-2016.

(b) to (d): The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 has been enacted keeping in view the rights guaranteed under Article 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India to provide for a remedy under the civil law which is intended to protect the women from being victims of domestic violence and to prevent the occurrence of domestic violence in the society.

'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 UT Administrations; they are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws.

Nevertheless, the Central Government gives highest priority to ensuring safety and security of women and has taken several legislative and policy interventions. Section 8 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 mandates the States and UTs to appoint such number of Protection Officers in each district as it may consider necessary and also  to  notify  the  area(s)  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. The PWDVA provides to women remedies such as protection order, residence order, custody order, monetary relief and compensation order under it.

Under  the  umbrella  scheme  Mission  Shakti,  integrated  services  are  provided  for  safety, protection and empowerment of women through its two verticals; Sambal and Samarthya. One Stop  Centre  (OSC)  is  a  component  of  the  Sambal  vertical  that  provides  integrated  and immediate support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence and those in distress,  both  in  private  and  public  spaces  all  across  the  country.  It  provides  services  like medical  aid,  legal  aid  and  advice,  temporary  shelter,  police  assistance  and  psycho-social counselling to needy women. As on date, 926 One Stop Centres have been made operational across the country. Till 31st December 2025, OSCs have assisted over 13.37 lakh women in the country.

Women Helpline (WHL-181) provides 24-hour toll-free telecommunication services to support women  in  both  emergency  and  non-emergency  situations.  It  offers  assistance  to  women affected  by  violence  and  provides  information  about  government  schemes  and  services  all across the country. Women Helpline is operational in 35 States and Union Territories and also integrated with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112). Till 28th February 2026, WHLs have assisted over 99.09 lakh women in the country.

Nari Adalat scheme provides a platform for alternative grievance redressal for women at the gram panchayat level. The Adalats are mandated to help women in distress at the panchayat level in resolving smaller issues relating to domestic violence and other gender-based violence by negotiation, mediation and reconciliation with mutual consent for accessible justice.

Under  the  Samarthya  vertical  of  Mission  Shakti,  Shakti  Sadan  has  been  established  as  an Integrated  Relief  and  Rehabilitation  Home  for  women  in  distress,  including  victims  of trafficking  and  domestic  violence.  It  has  been  formed  by  merging  the  earlier  schemes  of Swadhar Greh and Ujjawala. It aims at creating a safe and enabling environment for the women in  difficult  situations,  to  enable  them  to  overcome  the  adverse  circumstances.  As  on 23.03.2026, 416 Shakti Sadans are operational across the country.

In order to strengthen transparency and accessibility in service delivery with respect to reliefs and rehabilitation to women in distress, the Ministry of WCD launched Mission Shakti Portal (https://missionshakti.wcd.gov.in/)  on  22.01.2025.  The  Mission  Shakti  Portal  data  is  now accessible  via  the  Mission  Shakti  Mobile  Application  with  multi  lingual  feature  thereby expanding outreach and convenience for users. The Portal provides a publicly accessible list of Protection Officers under the PWDVA. As on 23.03.2026, details of 2,428 Protection Officers have been updated by States and UTs.

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