E-Paper
Systemic approach to preventing crimes against women and children
This article is authored by Veerendra Mishra, IPS and Sumit Kaushik, social impact and public policy consultant.
Crimes against women and children strike at the very foundation of a society’s moral compass and constitutional promise of dignity, equality, and justice. In India, responding to these crimes cannot be reduced to a narrow law-and-order lens. It is an ongoing exercise in strengthening institutions, modernising legal frameworks, expanding victim support systems, and—most importantly—building public trust. This task unfolds within India’s federal structure, where police and public order are state subjects, placing primary responsibility on states and Union Territories, even as the Union Government has steadily expanded its role through legal reform, capacity-building, technology, and national coordination.
Over the past decade, the ministry of home affairs has pursued a clear shift from reactive policing to preventive and victim-centric governance. Legislative reforms have been complemented by investments in infrastructure, training, financial support, and continuous advisories to states and Union Territories. A visible expression of this approach is the establishment of Women Help Desks in every police station across the country—an acknowledgment that accessibility and trust are as critical to justice as enforcement itself. Making police stations more approachable for women is not a cosmetic reform; it is a structural intervention aimed at early reporting and timely action.
Technology has emerged as a central pillar of this preventive architecture. The pan-India emergency response support system, anchored around the globally recognised emergency number 112, has redefined response times through computer-aided dispatch and integrated field coordination. Alongside this, safe city projects in major urban centres mark a deliberate move towards smart policing, surveillance-led deterrence, and data-driven safety management. These initiatives recognise that urbanisation and crime patterns evolve together—and policing must evolve faster.
Investigation and accountability have also been strengthened through systemic interventions. The National Database on Sexual Offenders and the Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences have brought transparency, monitoring, and time-bound discipline to the handling of sexual assault cases. These tools are not merely administrative upgrades; they signal a shift towards outcome-oriented justice, where delays and institutional inertia are no longer acceptable.
Equally critical is the role of forensic science. By strengthening DNA analysis units across Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories, and by standardising evidence collection through notified guidelines and sexual assault evidence kits, the State has invested in the credibility of the criminal justice process. Justice that is not backed by science is fragile; justice supported by forensic rigour is resilient and persuasive.
Legal reform has provided a decisive push to this institutional strengthening. The implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam marks a generational shift in India’s criminal law framework. By prioritising offences against women and children, tightening punishments, mandating audio-video recording of statements, and imposing strict timelines on medical reporting, these laws place victims—not procedures—at the centre of the justice system. The emphasis on free and immediate medical treatment further reinforces the principle that dignity cannot wait for formalities.
Beyond enforcement and prosecution, victim care and rehabilitation have received sustained attention. Fast-track special courts, including exclusive POCSO courts, have sought to address pendency and restore confidence in judicial outcomes. One Stop Centres and helplines operated by the ministry of women and child development have created integrated support systems that recognise trauma as both legal and social. Rehabilitation schemes under Mission Shakti reflect an understanding that justice is incomplete without empowerment and reintegration.
Taken together, these measures represent a layered, institutionally anchored response—one that balances federal responsibilities with national coordination. Yet, a critical question remains: Can crime prevention succeed through institutions alone?
The answer lies beyond government action. No policing system, however well-resourced, can be omnipresent. The ratio of law enforcers to population makes this a structural reality. Citizens, by contrast, are everywhere. Their awareness, willingness to report, and readiness to intervene responsibly can dramatically amplify the impact of institutional reforms. While laws such as POCSO have begun to codify elements of societal responsibility, the deeper shift required is cultural.
The tendency to look away—to treat crime as someone else’s problem—is a silent enabler of violence. India’s new legal framework offers protections to whistleblowers and responsible citizens, but laws alone cannot create courage. What is needed is a shift from the comfort of not me to the conviction of why not me. Such a change in mindset would not merely support the system; it would transform it.
In a democracy governed by the rule of law, institutional strength is indispensable—but citizenship is irreplaceable. Preventing crimes against women and children ultimately demands a partnership between the State and society, where institutions provide the framework and citizens supply the moral force. When that partnership functions in harmony, safety becomes not just a policy objective, but a shared civic responsibility.
This article is authored by Veerendra Mishra, IPS and Sumit Kaushik, social impact and public policy consultant.
