Smriti Irani says 'Over 1 lakh women benefited through legal services'

Over 1 lakh women have benefited through legal services and advice under the Legal Service Authorities Act, 1987, Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

In her written reply, Smriti Irani said that according to the information received from the National Legal Authority Services (NALSA), nearly 1,82,506 women have benefited through legal services and advice under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 during the current financial year 2019-20 (up to November 2019).

Smriti Irani's response was based on inputs provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)'s latest data.

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NCRB's recent data about crimes against women

The data have detailed figures about crimes against women in states as well as union territories during the year 2018. The NCRB reveals that a total of 378,277 cases of crime against women were reported.

Up to 16,920 such cases were reported in Bihar alone, while 18,531 persons charge-sheeted and 800 persons were convicted in these cases. In Maharashtra, over 35,000 cases were reported and 1,960 people were convicted.

Delhi reported 13,640 cases of crime against women of which 935 people were convicted.

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595 one-stop centres for women in India, says NCRB

Only 595 of the sanctioned 728 one-stop centres (OSC) - which were started to help women affected by violence- are functional across the country and provided assistance to 2.27 lakh women in 2018, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.

Over 1.10 lakh women in UP were provided assistance at OSCs while over 16,000 women in Chhattisgarh and 13,000 women victims in MP contacted the OSCs for legal and psychological assistance.

Most of the women who approached the centres were victims of rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development started the OSC centres to provide legal, medical and also counselling or shelter to victims of rape, domestic violence or other crime against women.

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Number of rape cases registered in 2018

The recent NCRB data also showed that the highest cases of rapes of women were recorded in Rajasthan (3305) followed by UP (2911) and MP (2609).

The highest cases of rapes of minors were witnessed in MP with 2,841 cases followed by UP (1411) and Chhattisgarh (1219). Delhi witnessed 1215 cases of rapes of minor girls in 2018.

Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of gang rapes in all three years with 676 cases in 2017, 684 in 2016 and 462 cases in 2015. 

Delhi, however, witnessed a decrease in cases of rape and gangrape.

In 2018, Delhi registered 1217 cases of rapes of women. In 2017, the national capital recorded 1229 rape cases.

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(Image: PTI)