The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is now operational across all 36 States/UTs. The recently upgraded ERSS 2.0 enhances emergency services through improved data centres, wider district coverage, increased call capacity, vehicle tracking, and disaster recovery mechanisms.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is actively implementing six key projects under the Umbrella Scheme for the “Safety of Women,” aiming to bolster response mechanisms, improve investigation procedures, and enhance crime prevention strategies concerning crimes against women. This was stated by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
The six projects under this initiative include:
- 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)
- Upgradation of Central Forensic Sciences Laboratories, including the establishment of a National Forensic Data Centre
- Strengthening of DNA Analysis and Cyber Forensic capacities in State Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs)
- Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children
- Capacity building and training of investigators and prosecutors in handling sexual assault cases against women and children
- Women Help Desk & Anti-Human Trafficking Units
Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that to facilitate easier access to police services for women, the MHA has funded the establishment of 14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) across all States and Union Territories (UTs), with 13,743 of these being led by women officers. Additionally, 827 Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) have been set up nationwide to combat human trafficking more effectively.
The minister said that under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children project, forensic training laboratories have been established in 33 States/UTs, and over 24,624 officials—including police officers, judges, and prosecutors—have been trained in handling cyber crimes against women and children. A dedicated portal for reporting such crimes is also operational.
Emergency Response System Strengthened
Projects worth ₹245.29 crore have been approved under the Nirbhaya Fund to improve DNA and Cyber Forensic capabilities across 30 States/UTs. A state-of-the-art DNA Analysis Facility has been established in Chandigarh. Six National Cyber Forensic Labs, along with a National Forensic Data Centre, have also been approved to strengthen forensic investigation infrastructure. Over 34,626 officials have received specialised training on DNA evidence management and the use of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits, with 18,020 kits distributed across states and union territories.
The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is now operational across all 36 States/UTs. The recently upgraded ERSS 2.0 enhances emergency services through improved data centres, wider district coverage, increased call capacity, vehicle tracking, and disaster recovery mechanisms. Disaster recovery facilities have been established at C-DAC centres in Noida and Thiruvananthapuram.
ERSS is now seamlessly integrated with other emergency helplines, including the Railway Helpline, Women Helpline, Child Helpline, and Disaster Response services, providing a more comprehensive and efficient response system for those in distress.
These proactive measures underscore the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women across the nation, the minister said, adding that the ministry of home affairs continues to work closely with states and union territories to enhance law enforcement responses and strengthen justice delivery mechanisms for victims of crime.
The United Nations defines ‘violence against women’ as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.
The role of health professionals in providing care for the survivors can be better understood and addressed from the perspective of the WHO definition of ‘health’, which defines it as ‘an individual’s state of physical, mental and social well-being’.
