Initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, three critical schemes have been introduced to enhance women’s safety and wellbeing. These campaigns aim to safeguard women in various environments such as their residences, workplaces, and public domains.
Introduction of Panic Button on Mobile Phones
Back in 2015, the Ministry of Telecom made it mandatory to incorporate a physical panic button on all mobile phones across the nation. The idea behind this initiative was to develop an emergency response mechanism through local police authorities, which gets triggered when a woman is in a distress situation and presses the panic button.
This mechanism would send alert messages to specified family members or close connections of the distressed woman. To streamline this process, a dedicated Emergency Response Centre has now been instituted to operate and manage the whole system effectively.
SCIM Portal: Monitoring Safe City Projects
The Ministry of Home Affairs has designed and developed an online Safe City Implementation Monitoring (SCIM) portal. This portal’s primary objective is to facilitate the online monitoring of asset deployment and infrastructure development under Safe City projects.
The government has earmarked eight cities for the implementation of these Safe City projects. These projects primarily focus on creating tangible assets and resources, promoting a mindset that prioritizes women’s safety.
| City | Status of Project |
|---|---|
| City 1 | Implementation phase |
| City 2 | Planning phase |
| City 3 | Implementation phase |
| City 4 | Planning phase |
| City 5 | Implementation phase |
| City 6 | Planning phase |
| City 7 | Implementation phase |
| City 8 | Planning phase |
DNA Analysis Facilities: Quick Forensic Evidence Processing
In the cases of sexual assault against women, obtaining forensic evidence is a significant step towards delivering justice. Out of all the types of evidence, DNA samples from the crime scene are known to provide the fastest results. However, delays in investigation often result in delayed justice.
To counter this issue, dedicated DNA analysis facilities will be established in forensic labs across the country on a mission mode. This would ensure the timely testing and analysis of DNA samples, thereby accelerating the investigation process in sexual assault cases.
