Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday launched two portals to strengthen women safety in the country.
The portal - cybercrime.gov.in - will receive complaints from citizens on objectionable online content related to child pornography, child sexual abuse material, sexually explicit material such as rape and gang rape.
The National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO), accessible only to law enforcement agencies, will assist in tracking and investigating cases of sexual offences.
While addressing officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Women and Child Development and senior police officials from States and Union Territories (UT), the Home Minister highlighted the measures taken by the government to check crime against women and children.
He added that the two portals launched today are part of efforts in the direction of strengthening security of women and children. However, he said that several challenges have to be overcome by the police at the ground level to ensure speedy justice to the victims. He urged them to fully utilize potential of the two portals and update the database regularly for greater effectiveness.
Singh further appreciated the measures introduced by some of the states to check crimes against women and children, and urged them to share the best practices for adoption by others.
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Union Minister of Women and Child Development - Maneka Sanjay Gandhi urged the law enforcement agencies to pay special attention to the safety of children at shelter homes. She also underlined the need for provision of forensic kits at police stations for quick investigation of sexual crimes. She also asked the police to take prompt action in cases where a husband abandons wife shortly after marriage.
Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba highlighted the need for timely completion of investigation in sexual crimes to instill deterrence among potential offenders. While appreciating the progress made by Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Police, he said the MHA will monitor progress in all the states.
The Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC) portal enables complainants in reporting cases without disclosing their identity. This will not only aid the victims/complainants but also help civil society organizations and responsible citizens to anonymously report complaints.
Complainants can also upload the objectionable content and URL to assist in the investigation by the state police. The complaints registered through this portal will be handled by police authorities of respective state/Union Territories. Another feature enables a victim or complainant to track his/her report by opting for "report and track" option using his/her mobile number.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will proactively identify such objectionable content and take up with intermediaries for its removal.
The second portal unveiled by the Home Minister relates to the National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO).
It is a central database of "sexual offenders" in the country which will be maintained by the NCRB for regular monitoring and tracking by the State Police. The database is accessible only to the law enforcement agencies for investigation and monitoring purpose. The database will include offenders convicted under charges of rape, gang rape, POCSO and eve teasing.
Currently, the database contains as many as 4.4 lakh entries. The database includes name, address, photograph and fingerprint details for each entry. However, the database will not compromise any individual's privacy.