13 point agenda for the protection of SC/ST
13 point agenda for the protection of SC/ST
Recently, the central government has released a 13-point agenda for the protection of women, children, SC/ST.
Key points of the agenda:
- The 13-point agenda of the central government includes online reporting of sexual abuse and distribution of obscene material, zero FIRs in rape complaints, fixing accountability of policemen, etc.
- According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against women have increased by 7.3 per cent from 2018 to 2019 and crimes against scheduled castes have also increased by 7.3 per cent in the same period.
- Simultaneously, data compiled by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a non-profit organization founded by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, indicates that 9,000 children were trafficked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In such a situation, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited comments and suggestions from all stakeholders on the draft ‘Irafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021’.
The following main provisions have been made in it:
- It applies to all citizens of India within and outside the country.
- It broadens the definition of “victim” to include transgenders, in addition to women and children.
- Provision was made for imprisonment of up to 20 years and capital punishment for the offenders found guilty.
- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has to complete the investigation within 90 days from the date of arrest of the accused.
Source – The Hindu
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