‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Responsibilities to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women rest with respective State Governments. State Governments are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws. However, Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for safety of women across the country which are given below:

1. 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.
2. Emergency Response Support System provides a pan-India, single internationally recognized number (112) based system for all emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress.
3. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a cyber-crime reporting portal on 20^th September, 2018 for citizens to report obscene content.
4. 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 & Mumbai).  The projects have been prepared by State Governments, taking into account the need for identification of hot spots for crimes against women for development of critical assets in various areas including infrastructure, technology adoption and capacity building in the community through awareness programmes.
5. MHA has launched the “National Database on Sexual Offenders” (NDSO) on 20^thSeptember, 2018 to facilitate investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country.
6. MHA has launched an online analytic tool “Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences” to monitor and track time-bound investigation in sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
7. 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-of-the-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 in 20 States/UTs.
8. 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 14,950 Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits to States/ UTs as orientation kit as part of training.
9. MHA has also approved two projects for setting up and strengthening of Women Help Desks in Police Stations and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts of the country.
10. In addition to the above-mentioned measures, MHA has been issuing Advisories from time to time to States/UTs to deal with crimes against women, which are available at www.mha.gov.in.

            This was stated in a written reply by the Ministry of Home Affairs to a question in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.

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NW/RK/AY/RR/1987

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