In Part III of the video series covering the findings on crimes against women in India, Naveed Mehmood Ahmad evaluates executive action responding to such crimes. 

Special functionaries, courts, prosecutors etc. are pivotal to the legislature’s response to increasing crimes against women and are required to be put in place by the union and state governments. 

The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956 (ITPA) requires Governments to appoint Special Police Officers (SPOs) and Trafficking Police Officers (TPOs). Of the 15 States and Union Territories that responded to Vidhi’s queries regarding the appointment of SPOs, only 6 states/UTs have appointed them. Only 5 States & Union Territories have appointed TPOs. 

Further, the Nirbhaya Fund was conceptualised to finance government interventions to improve the safety and security of women. Even as projects worth 9,764.30 Cr. have been appraised under the fund, only 4,087.37 Cr. have been released and a mere 2,871.42 Cr. has been reported as utilised. While 40 projects/schemes have been covered under the fund, 66% of the Fund has been appraised for only 3 projects. Moreover, over 60% of funds released have been released in favour of only 7 states. 

Despite the Legislature passing laws with stricter punishments and creating new structures, the Executive has been unable to effectively implement these laws. Full findings of the research can be found at https://crimesagainstwomen.in.

Watch the video above to find out more about executive action with regards to crimes against women.  

Watch Part II of the video series evaluating legislative thinking here.

Watch the introductory video of the series to understand how we ended up here.

Read an earlier blog by Naveed Ahmad and Ayushi Sharma on judicial attitudes towards cases of cruelty here.