Nirbhaya Scheme

Ministry of Women and Child Development

Context:

Recently Government of India release new data for Nirbhaya Scheme

About Nirbhaya Scheme:

• Post-2012, Nirbhaya Gang rape case, The Government of India had set up a dedicated fund called ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ in 2013 with the focus on implementing the initiatives aimed at improving the security and safety of women in India.
• The fund was called “Nirbhaya Fund”, Nirbhaya meaning fearless, the pseudonym given to the gang-rape victim to conceal her identity.
• The government’s contribution towards the non-lapsable corpus fund was Rs. 1000 crores.
• Nodal agency:  Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the administration of the fund. While the Women and Child Development Ministry is the nodal agency for expenditure from the Nirbhaya Fund. It is involved in appraising, reviewing, and monitoring the progress of those schemes sanctioned under the Nirbhaya Fund. Earlier, it was the one releasing the funds but now it examines the programs submitted to it by the states under the Nirbhaya scheme, approves them and recommends to the Department of Economic affairs for allocating funds.
• Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the Centre gives money to the states, which in turn spend it on programs meant for ensuring women’s safety.
• The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for the safety and security of women to be administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of India.
• Further, it provides for an Empowered Committee (EC) of officers chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) to appraise and recommend proposals to be funded under this framework.
• The Nirbhaya Fund Framework provides for a non-lapsable corpus fund for the safety and security of women to be administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the Government of India. 
•  
• Under the Nirbhaya Fund, one of the schemes namely “One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme” is implemented across the country since 1st April 2015.
  • OSCs aim to facilitate women affected by violence with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, providing legal and psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter.
  • OSCs are to be set up within 2 kms radius of the hospitals or medical facilities either in new constructed building in an approved design or in pre-existing buildings.
  • Under the scheme, One Stop Centres are being set up in all districts of the country. So far, 704 OSCs have been operationalised and more than three lakh women have been assisted through them.

BACKGROUND

Violence and abuse against women and girls is frequent on streets, in public transportation and in other public places. Such occurrences restrict women’s right to mobility, discouraging their freedom to walk freely and move in public spaces of their choice. Such violence also limits their access to essential services and adversely impact their health and wellbeing.

In this context, and following the tragedy of December 2012, the Government has set up a dedicated fund – Nirbhaya Fund – which can be utilized for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women. It is a non-lapsable corpus fund, being administered by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

PROJECT CONTOURS

proposed projects under the Nirbhaya Fund should have the following features: 

• Direct impact on safety and security concerns of women
• Optimum use of existing infrastructure
• Innovative use of technology
• No duplication of existing government schemes/programmes
• Provision for real time intervention as far as possible. E.g. in case of CCTVs for women’s safety, there should be real-time monitoring of footage and quick response, rather than just a recording of events for evidence after the incident has occurred
• Strict privacy and confidentiality of women’s identity and information. E.g. placement of CCTVs so as to not compromise women’s privacy, protection of video data collected etc. 
• Defined role of all stakeholders
• Clear definition of project:
  •  Inputs – required manpower, physical assets, financial resources etc.
  • Activities – to be undertaken during the project cycle. E.g. trainings, building infrastructure etc.
  • Outputs – product of the project. E.g. number of people reached, area covered etc.
  • Measurable outcomes – expected achievement of the project. E.g. increase in prosecutions of crime against women, reduction in crime rate etc.

E.g. installation of 500 CCTVs at crime prone areas and public places is a project output. However, this offers no indication of whether the technology is actually used or if it improves police effectiveness. The outcome of such a project could be a reduction in incidents of crime, increasing use of CCTV footage as evidence in court, more prosecutions for crime against women etc. 

• No. of beneficiaries to be reached – absolute or estimated
• Defined monitoring mechanism – from lowest level up to MWCD
• Support of State WCD/Social Welfare Department, State Home Department and concerned central Ministry/Department (in case of proposals from States)

FUNDING PATTERN

The below standard funding pattern will be followed:

• 60:40 for all States
• 90:10 for States with difficult terrains
• 100% for UTs
• Few initiatives are 100% funded

Nirbhaya Fund – 3 Schemes

Considering the need to have a schematic intervention and a complete mechanism for providing support to the women in distress, three schemes are being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the Nirbhaya Fund.

Keeping in mind the need to have schematic interventions and proper mechanism for handholding of women in distress, 3 schemes have been implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development

1. ‘One Stop Centre’
2. ‘Universalisation of Women Helpline’
3. ‘Mahila Police Volunteer’

Schemes being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs are as follows:

1. Emergency Response Support System
2. Central Victim Compensation Fund

A Parliamentary Standing Committee in 2016 had questioned the Ministry of Women and Child Development over the sluggish implementation of schemes under the Nirbhaya fund. A report by the Centre for Development and Human Rights (CDHR) stated that lengthy inter-ministerial coordination for project approval had created problems in the implementation of Nirbhaya fund schemes.

As per data released by the Home Ministry, various projects under different ministries have not even used half the funds allocated to them. Nirbhaya Fund is one such fund and the under-utilization or no utilization of Nirbhaya fund has now come under the radar of the Supreme Court. The apex court has asked the states to reveal the amount they’ve received under the Nirbhaya Fund and to apprise the court of how the money has been disbursed to victims of sexual assault.

Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) 

• Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) has been funded under the Framework of Nirbhaya Fund to support States/ UTs for their Victim Compensation Scheme.
• The CVCF is a one-time grant of top-up funds to the States/UTs subsequent to the directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court.

Source: PIB

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