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DuringtheDiscussionontheWorkingoftheMinistryofWomen&ampChildDevelopmentinParliament

SpeechbyShriRajeevChandrasekhar,MP
DuringtheDiscussionontheWorkingoftheMinistryofWomen&
ChildDevelopmentinParliament

August13,2014

Sir,
ThankyouforallowingmetospeakontheworkingoftheWomenandChildDevelopmentMinistry.
Sir,thechallengesfacedbyWomenandChildreninIndiaaremany,anddespitesomeimprovements,they
continuetostruggleinalmostallaspectsofsafety,developmentandopportunity.Iwouldliketotalkabout
alltheseareas,butgiventhetimeconstraints,Iwillfocusontheissueofsafetyofchildren.
Ina2013report,theNationalCrimeRecordsBureau(NCRB)confirmedthatincidentsofcrimeagainst
womenandchildrenincities,haveseenadisturbingupwardtrendtherateofcrimeinthe53megacities
ofourcountryisahigh69.7,upfrom21.0in2011,whichissignificantlyhigherthanthenationalrateof52.2.
Thereportalsoshowsanupwardtrendincrimescommittedagainstchildren,whichwentupfrom33,098
casesregisteredin2011to58,224casesregisteredin2013.
Onlyrecently,mycityBengaluruhasseenanumberofshamefulcasesofpedophiliarangingfrom2yearto
6yearoldsbeingmolestedandraped,eveninsocalledprivateschools,withmanyhundredsofcases
goingunreported.
InresponsetoaQuestionthatIraisedinthisHouseon17July,2014,theMinistryclaimedthattheNational
CommissionforProtectionofChildRights(NCPCR)isalreadyempoweredenoughundertheprovisionof
POCSO.Giventhatthenumberofcasesregisteredhaverisenfrom97in2011to270in2013andthe
numberofpeopleconvictedhaveonlyrisenfrom13in2011to17in2013,onecannotagreewiththis
statementbytheMinistry.

Myrecommendationstoaddressthissituationholisticallyareasfollows:
1.Amendingexistinglegislationtomakeitmoreeffectiveandcreatespecificmandatesandtargetsfor
NCPCRandcreationofStateCommissionsforProtectionofChildRights(SCPCRs).
2.Createanawareness,sensitivity,focusandaccountabilityintheEducationdepartmentthatregulate
schools,ourPolice,prosecutionandjudiciary,includingtheneedforChildCrimeUnitsandfasttrack
courts.
3.CreatinganawarenessinSocietyandcommunitiesreportingthesecrimes,andcreatingcounseling
capacitiesforchildrenandparentsaffectedbythesecrimes.
4.CreatingAnnualReportCardsforStatesonwomenandchildsafetytohighlightStateGovernmentsthat
aremakingrealprogress.
Sir,Iwilltouchononeoftheseissues,i.e.,tomaketheProtectionofChildrenfromSexualOffences
(POCSO)Actmoreeffective.Letmesharethecaseofone2yearoldchildinBangalorewhowasavictim
inJanuarythisyear.WhilethepoliceandInvestigatingteammovedquicklyinthatcaseandchargedthe
criminal,whowasaschoolbusdriver,andsomeothersasaccessoriestwoweaknessesinPOCSO
quicklyemerged.Oneisthattheschoolanditsmanagementwhoareresponsibleotherwiseforevery
othersafetyaspectarenotcoveredbyPOCSO,andsecondly,thatthecasehasyettocometotrialdespite
allthistimebecauseStateshaveyettocreatetheFasttrackcourtsmandatedunderPOCSO.Myown
studiesshowthatnostateinIndiahasyetformedFasttrackcourtsforPOCSOcrimesdespitetheActbeing

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DuringtheDiscussionontheWorkingoftheMinistryofWomen&ampChildDevelopmentinParliament

passedsuchalongtimeago.SothequestionarisesWhathastheMinistrybeendoingandwhathasthe
NCPCRbeendoingallthiswhile?
Sir,on23rdJulythisyear,IhadsubmittedaZeroHourMentioninParliamentontheneedforstrengthening
thePOCSOActsoastobringSchoolManagementsundertheambitofthelawandthereinequipthesystem
totakestrongaction.Beforethis,IhadalsosubmittedanoticeinParliamentforaShortDurationDiscussion
onthesubjectofchildsafety.Unfortunatelythesediscussionscouldnthappenduetheprioritiesofthe
House.IurgetheMinistrytoensuretheamendmentofthePOCSOActtoensureschoolmanagementsare
broughtundertheambitofthelawandaremadeaccountableforthesafetyofchildrenwithintheschool
premises.ThepolicemustcreatechildcrimecellsinallpolicestationswhereFIRsandcomplaintscanbe
registeredimmediately.Publicprosecutorsmustcreatespecialistsinprosecutingthesecases,whichinturn
mustbetriedinFastTrackCourtstoensurespeedytrialsandconvictions.Exemplarypunishmentand
sentencesmustbeprescribedunderPOCSO.ThesewouldaidincreatingacultureofZeroTolerance
towardscrimesagainstchildrenregardlessoftheirstature,casteorcreed.
Sir,toend,IwouldliketosuggestabifurcationwithintheMinistry,ofChildSafetyandWomenssafetyand
welfare.ToaParliamentaryquestionIhadasked,theMinisterhadrepliedAstheissuesrelatingto
womenandchildrensuchashealth,hygiene,development,protection,nutritionetc.areinterlinked,the
GovernmentisnotconsideringtohaveaseparateMinistryforChildWelfare.Whilethecasemaynotexist
foraseparateChildWelfareMinistry,itisclearlynotthecasethatchildrenssafetyandwomenssafetyare
linked.TheyaretwoverydifferentissuesChildabuseandassaultoccurathomesandschools,and
womenssafetyissuesareintheexternalworld.Thereareover400millionchildreninIndia,which
constitutesapproximately30%ofthepopulation.Childrenhavespecializedsocial,psychologicaland
healthneedsandthesecannotbesubsumedintoamandateforagroupofpeoplewomenwhohave
equallycomplexneeds.Thefocusonthesetwoseparateissuesneedstobedrivenbyeitherdepartments
orinstitutionslikeNationalCommissionforWomen(NCW)andNCPCRthathavetodatenotcovered
themselveswithglory.
Sir,asanation,wehaveletdownourchildrenonthisissueofsafetyandarecontinuingtoletthemdown.
LettheHonbleMinisterchangethispermanentlybymakingChildsafetythefocusoftheMinistryfornext
fiveyearstotacklethisshamefulscourgeheadon,withacombinedeffortoflegislation,enforcementand
advocacy.TheGovernanceandParliamentaryresponseneedstobedrivenproactively,andnotinreaction
tothenexthorrificcrime.

Thankyou.
JaiHind.

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