Parliament Question: Rising violence against women and children

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *274 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 RISING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN *274. SHRI A. A. RAHIM: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the number of cases of physical attack against women and children during each of the last three years, year-wise and State-wise; (b) the number of cyber-crime incidents recorded against women and children during the same period, year-wise and State-wise; (c) the number of such cases that resulted in arrests, prosecutions and convictions, with outcomes and pendency figures, year-wise; (d) whether the Ministry has conducted any analysis to identify trends, common platforms or modalities in cyber offences targeting women and children; and (e) the specific policy measures, interventions, capacity-building efforts and coordination mechanisms put in place by Government? ANSWER MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI) (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 274 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 REGARDING “RISING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN” ASKED BY SHRI A. A. RAHIM (a) to (c): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, compiles and publishes statistical data relating to crimes in its annual publication “Crime in India. The latest published report is up to the year 2023 and is available at its website https://ncrb.gov.in/en/crime-india.This report contains the total number of crimes against women and children including cyber-crime offences. (d) and (e): ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility for prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes, including those against women and children, primarily rests with the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Among other reasons, increased reporting of crime is attributable to the increased level of awareness among citizens due to various measures taken by government in the last few years including the operationalisation of helplines such as Women Helpline -181, Child Helpline - 1098 and Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112), concept of Zero FIR and e-FIR and provision of institutional support to the survivors. The Government of India adopts a whole of government approach to address offences targeting women and children, with concerned Ministries implementing legal, technological, enforcement and victim-support/ rehabilitation interventions within their respective mandates. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) undertakes measures relating to law enforcement, investigation and cyber-crime reporting. The Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme has been implemented under the Nirbhaya Fund. A dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) and Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) are operational to facilitate reporting of cyber offences including those affecting women and children. MHA also undertakes awareness initiatives and capacity building for law enforcement agencies through training programmes and standard operating procedures. In recent years, major legal and institutional reforms have been undertaken to strengthen protection of women and children. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, which came into force on 1 July 2024, contain strengthened provisions relating to offences against women and children, including trafficking, organised crime, gang rape and exploitation. These laws also provide improved procedural safeguards and recognise electronic and digital records as admissible evidence, thereby strengthening prosecution in cyber crimes.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) administers ‘The Information Technology Act, 2000’ and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 which provide a framework for addressing unlawful online content, including punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene or sexually explicit material electronically and empowering law-enforcement agencies to investigate cyber offences. Further, MeitY has put in place policy and regulatory measures to protect individuals, including women and children, from harms arising from the misuse of personal data in digital spaces through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“Act”).The Act, together with the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 (“Rules”), establishes a comprehensive framework for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process such data for lawful purposes. Also, MeitY addresses online gender-based violence such as impersonation, fake profiles, circulation of obscene content, non- consensual intimate imagery and deepfakes through inter-ministerial consultations, advisories and victim-support mechanisms. In addition, under the Nirbhaya Fund, the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme has been implemented, and reporting mechanisms such as the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) and Cyber Helpline 1930 have been operationalised, along with awareness initiatives by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under the Mission Shakti scheme of Ministry of Women and Child Development a holistic and victim-centric approach is adopted to strengthen safety, security and empowerment of women, including protection against technology-facilitated crimes. Key initiatives include: a. One Stop Centre Scheme: Operational since 2015 to provide integrated services such as medical aid, legal assistance, temporary shelter, police facilitation and psycho-social counselling. 925 OSCs are operational across the country and have assisted over 13.37 lakh women (up to 31 December 2025). b. Women Help Desks: 15,049 set up in police stations, of which 14,363 are headed by women police officers. c. Women Helpline-181 and ERSS-112 providing emergency and support services; the Women Helpline has handled over 2.88 crore calls and assisted over 99.09 lakh women. d. Safe City Projects implemented in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai for improving safety in public spaces. Capacity-building and awareness measures are also undertaken by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, which conducts training programmes for investigators,prosecutors and medical officers, prepares Standard Operating Procedures for Women Help Desks, and organises gender-sensitisation programmes for police personnel. Further, the SHe-Box Portal provides a centralised platform to file and track complaints related to workplace sexual harassment under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The Government, through institutions such as the National Commission for Women, also conducts awareness programmes through seminars, workshops and media outreach, and regularly issues advisories to States and UTs to strengthen safety and security measures for women and children The Government has enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which provides institutional mechanisms such as Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Care Institutions, and mandates Special Juvenile Police Units in each district. Further, offences relating to sexual abuse of children are addressed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, while the Mission Vatsalya scheme supports institutional and non-institutional care, rehabilitation and child protection services. Through these legislative measures, reporting mechanisms, institutional support systems, awareness initiatives and inter-ministerial coordination, the Government continues to strengthen prevention, reporting, investigation and victim support mechanisms to address offences against women and children. *****