New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply to a question related to crimes against women in the Lok Sabha that the safety of women is the first priority of the government. He said that for this the government has taken all kinds of initiatives throughout the country. Enumerating the measures taken by the government for the protection of women, he said that the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 was enacted to give effect to the law against sexual offenses and prevent crimes. Subsequently, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was brought. Under this, more stringent punitive provisions were implemented, including capital punishment for raping a girl below 12 years of age.

Gujarat: Independent MLA burns copy of Statue of Unity Bill outside the assembly

In a report, the Minister of State for Home said that under this Act, a rule has been made to complete investigations and tests within 2 months. He told the House that the Emergency Response Support System provides a single number (112) across India, which has received international recognition. Under this, there is also a computerized system to identify the scene at the time of the incident.

Central government gives priority to safety of women, Home Ministry says this

Minister has also said that from April 1, 2015, the One-Stop Center (OSC) scheme is in force throughout the country. The scheme has been launched to provide integrated services such as medical assistance, police assistance, legal counseling/court management, psycho-social counseling and temporary shelter to violence-affected women across the country from one place. According to the information, 728 one-stop centers have been approved by the Government of India so far, of which 595 are working in the entire country. The Union Minister also informed that apart from these measures, the Ministry of Home Affairs issues advisory to states and Union Territories to deal with crimes against women from time to time. This can be seen on the government website www.mha.gov.in.

G. Kishan Reddy on Ram temple issue, says "Central government acting on the directions of the court"