The Women Safety- II Section under Women Safety Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs is a dedicated section addressing critical issues related to the safety and welfare of vulnerable groups (women, children, SCs, STs, senior citizens etc) in India. This Section handles a range of subjects, including crimes against women, children, and members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), particularly atrocities under the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act, 1989, and the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955. It also focuses on crimes against the elderly and other vulnerable sections of society, excluding crimes against minorities, as well as crimes against transgender and queer individuals. Additionally, the division oversees the enforcement of the Poison Act and manages compensation for acid attack victims under the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Initiatives such as Women Help Desks and the Central Victim Compensation Fund Scheme are also under its purview, providing crucial support and assistance to acid attack victims and ensuring their rights and safety are upheld.
Vulnerable Groups - Welfare Section (VG-W)
The VG-W Section of Women Safety Division addresses critical issues related to the safety and welfare of vulnerable groups (women, children, SCs, STs, senior citizens etc) in India. This Section handles a range of subjects, including crimes against women, children, and members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), particularly atrocities under the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act, 1989, and the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955. It also focuses on crimes against the elderly and other vulnerable sections of society, excluding crimes against minorities, as well as crimes against transgender and queer individuals.
The section also prepares reply for the Court Cases filed in the Court (Honāble Supreme Court, High Courts, and other courts where this Ministry is a Party on the issue mentioned as above and provides views of this Ministry on the State Acts, Private Member Bills etc. on the above issues.
Additionally, the Division oversees the enforcement of the Poison Act, issues related to Acid Attack and manages compensation for acid attack victims under the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Initiatives such as Women Help Desks and the Central Victim Compensation Fund Scheme are also under its purview, providing crucial support and assistance to acid attack victims and ensuring their rights and safety are upheld.
Crime against Women
To prevent crime against Women, this Section take a number of initiatives namely issuing Advisory, suggesting views on Bill/ law related to Women safety, dealing with Parliament Questions related to crime against Women etc. The Ministry has been advising State Governments to take appropriate action for prevention of crime against women, speedy trial of the Court cases related to crime against Women and Girls, steps on safety and security of Women and Girls, adopt gender sensitization of the police personnel, adopting appropriate measures for swift and salutary punishment to public servants found guilty of custodial violence against women, minimizing delays in investigations of murder, rape and torture of women and improving its quality, setting up a ācrime against women cellā etc.
Detailed advisories to address crime against women are attached below:
Crime against Children: The Government of India is concerned about crime against children and, therefore, advise the State Governments and UT Administrations to take steps for effective prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of all crimes against children within their jurisdiction.
Honāble Supreme Court while hearing a Writ Petition (Civil) no. 75 of 2012, on 10.05.2013, Bachpan Bachao Andolan vs Union of India has directed issue of advisory on missing children. Accordingly, a number of Advisories have been issued to the State Government regarding steps to be taken in case āMissing Childrenā is reported.
Further, the POCSO Act, administered by M/o Women & Child Development was amended to make it more effective in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse in the country and aims at arresting the rising trend of gruesome and heart wrenching offences being committed against children. The Amendment Act also provides for more stringent punishments such as increase in the imprisonment period and depending on the gravity of the offence, the Courts may impose penalties on the perpetrator which includes death penalty in extreme cases of aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The Act has also made adequate provisions for timely disposal of cases pertaining to POCSO.
Detailed advisories are attached below:
Crime against the Members of SCs/STs including Atrocities Committed under POA Act, 1989 and PCR Act, 1955: Government of India is concerned about crime against members of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). In the recent times, a number of Amendments were made Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 to ensure prevention of crime member of SCs and STs. The Ministry advises the State Governments and UT Administrations for proper and effective implementation of Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, to take appropriate action for prevention of crime against SCs and STs, to take steps for sensitizing and training police personnel, minimizing delays in investigation of cases of atrocities against SCs & STs, recruitment of sufficient number of persons belonging to SCs and STs as police personnel, programmes for creating awareness among vulnerable sections of the society and legal course open to them.
Detailed advisories are attached below:
Compensation to Acid Attack Victims, sexual violence victim etc.: The Government of India take a number of steps to prevent the incidents of acid attack and provide treatment & compensation to the acid attack victims. Criminal laws have been amended to address the following issues related to acid attack victim. Through Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 has provided specific provisions on acid attack as an offence, along with punitive measures to deal with non-compliance on cases no registration of crime and non-treatment to victims of several offences. The Honāble Supreme Court issued a series of directions under W.P. (Criminal)129 of 2006; Laxmi minor vs. Union of India to take proactive measures on
- Regulation of sale of acids
- Providing free treatment to the acid attack victim
- Disbursing compensation to the acid attack survivor.
In accordance with the above direction, this Ministry has issued a number of Advisories to the State Governments/ UT Administrations to take proactive measures to expedite investigation and trial of the acid attack cases and bring them under a definite time frame.
This Ministry has requested States/UTs to frame Victim Compensation Scheme as per directions of the Honāble Supreme Court. Further, the Central Government has granted Rs. 200 Crore (as a one time measure) under Central Victim Compensation Funds to the States /UTs to support and supplement the existing Victim Compensation Schemes notifies by States/UT Administrations; to reduce disparity in quantum of compensation amount notified by different States/UTs for similar crimes and to encourage States/UTs to effectively implement the victim Compensation Schemes (VSC) notified by them under the provisions of section 357A of CrPC and continue financial support to victims of various crimes especially sexual offences including rape, acid attacks, crime against children, human trafficking etc.
As per directions of the Honāble Supreme Court, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has framed Compensation Scheme for women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes and this was circulated to all States Government / UT Administration for adoption in 2018.
To give immediate temporary relief to the victim, additional financial assistance of Rs. 1.00 lakh (over and above the amount provided under the Victim Compensation Scheme) to the victim of acid attacks is provided under the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. Ministry of Home Affairs has also issued guidelines in this regard on 09.11.2016.
Detailed advisories are attached below:
Crime against Transgenders/Queers: The Government of India has been advising the State Governments and UT Administrations regarding implementation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and Rules, 2020 and setting up of a Transgender Protection Cell in each District and a State Level Cell under the DGP to ensure monitoring of offenses; timely registration; investigation, prosecution and undertaking necessary sensitization programmes.
Detailed advisories are attached below:
Women Help Desks Scheme: The Women Help Desks Scheme was launched with a grant of Rs. 164.69 Crore (@ Rs. 1 lakh each Police Stations) under Nirbhaya Fund, which is being implemented by States/UTs. As per data provided by BPR&D, 14658 WHDs established out of which 13743 WHDs are headed by Women Police Officers.
The Women Help Desk Scheme (WHD) has been implemented from 2019-20 onwards to give financial assistance from Government of India under Nirbhaya Fund to States and Union Territories for setting up /Strengthening of Women Help Desk in Police Stations. This project is being implemented by States/UTs. Under the project, States/UTs have been given a grant of Rs. 1,00,000 per Police Station for establishing 16469 Women Help Desk i.e., one each in 16469 Police Stations. Objectives of setting Women Help Desk are; Making Police Stations more accessible and friendly to women, Women Help Desk shall be the single point of contact for women, Officials in Women Help Desk will be adequately trained in sensitively dealing with complaints by women and The Desk will be assisted by a panel of lawyers, psychologists, NGOs for shelter, rehabilitation and training. It will assure assistance to women.
Guidelines on Women Help Desk Scheme attached below:
Crime against Elderly Persons and Other Vulnerable Sections of the Society excluding Crime against Minorities: The Ministry issues Advisories to the State Governments/UTs to take necessary steps for safety and security of elder persons and prevention of crime against them. So far as Crime against Minorities is concerned, this is being dealt in Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Advisories issued for āProtection of Senior Citizensā are attached below:
Poison Act: The Poison Act, 1919 is a Pre-constitutional Act which is enacted to regulate sale, possession and importation of any specified poison, both wholesale and retail sale. It prohibits importation into India of any poison except under License. This Act empowers the State Governments to make rules, notify list/schedule of poisons, to regulate the sale, possession of chemical substances/ acids, both wholesale as well as retail sale and provide for imprisonment, which is crucial to prevent any misuse of these substances in violence, criminal activities, especially acid attacks etc.
Advisories issued for āProtection of Senior Citizensā are attached below:
The Honāble Supreme Court judgement issued a series of directions under W.P. (Criminal)129 of 2006; Laxmi minor vs. Union of India to take proactive measures on the issue related to acid attack. In pursuance of this, the Ministry has framed Model Poison Rules which was circulated to the State Government / UT Administration for adoption.
VISIT