Child marriage cases shot up from 523 cases in 2019 to 785 cases in 2020, said the Women and Child Development Ministry on April 1, 2022 during Parliamentary proceedings. Further, the Ministry reported as many as 2,222 incidents of child trafficking in the same year.

BJP MP Parvesh Verma and DMK MP Shanmuga Sundaram K. asked Union Minister Smriti Irani about child marriage and child trafficking crimes respectively in recent years. Particularly Verma asked about the number of child marriage reports in the last three years.

Accordingly, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showed 501 cases in 2018, 523 cases in 2019 and then 785 cases in 2020 under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, states reported 518 cases of child marriage and union territories (UTs) reported five cases. In 2020, this jumped to 779 cases in states and six cases in UTs. The biggest spike was in Andhra Pradesh were child marriage increased from 4 cases in 2019 to 32 cases in 2020. In terms of numbers, Karnataka reported 184 cases in 2020 after 111 cases in the previous year. Even in Delhi, there was a doubling trend wherein it reported one case in 2018 then two cases in 2019 and then four cases in 2020.

Additionally, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) received 360 complaints relating to child labour, 120 cases of child marriages were reported during the year 2020-21 and 2021-22 (February, 2022).

Child trafficking reports

In response to Sundaram’s queries, the Ministry said that 2,222 cases of child trafficking and 54,785 cases of kidnapping were reported in 2020 with 24 trafficking and 252 kidnapping cases in Tamil Nadu. As per the break up, 2008 trafficking cases occurred in states with 815 reported in Rajasthan alone. Similarly, states accounted for 50,606 kidnapping incidents with the highest incidents recorded in Maharashtra at 7,392 cases.

Meanwhile, Delhi reported 202 out of 214 trafficking cases in UTs. The national capital also led in terms of kidnapping incidents, reporting 3,748 out of 4,179 cases in a year alone. Mizoram, Nagaland, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the only regions to report no trafficking incident. Puducherry reported zero kidnapping incidents but five trafficking cases. Ladakh was the only region to report no such crimes in the given year.

Measures to curb child trafficking and kidnapping

When asked about what the Centre planned to do against reports of such cases, Irani talked about various initiatives and programmes held by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in vulnerable areas post lockdown. There was also a programme called “Samvardhan” to map children and their families vulnerable to child trafficking.

“The Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services Scheme under which support is provided to states and UT governments for delivering services for children in need of care and difficult circumstances. Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc.,” said Irani.

Further, she said, the Ministry runs the Childline (1098) service, to reach children in crisis and link them to emergency and long-term care and rehabilitation services.

As for government attempts to bridges the gap between the PCMA and personal laws, Irani said the government introduced the ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ in the Parliament on December 21, 2021 to raise marriage age of women to 21 years, at par with men and to make consequential amendments in the enactments relating to age of marriage of parties. At the time, the move received heavy criticism from women’s groups.

Related:

Delhi HC asks for Centre’s opinion on declaring the Child Marriage ‘void ab initio’
Scrap the move to raise the age of marriage of girls to 21: AIDWA
Human Trafficking Bill overlooks agency of women it hopes to save
NCPCR suggests extending RTE to all minority institutions

The post Sharp spike in cases of child marriage and child trafficking in 2020! appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme (BBBP) which was launched with much fanfare to empower the girl child and also help combat the decline in Child Sex Ratio has been a major electoral slogan too. The scheme’s nodal ministry is the Women and Child Development Ministry and it also includes Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Education (Department of School Education and Literacy).

However, a report submitted in Parliament on Thursday, by the Committee on Empowerment of Women, chaired by Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, has made a startling revelation. The Committee has put on record public its “dismay” at the poor utilisation of the amount allocated by the centre for its Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme. It has revealed “Nearly 80 percent of the funds for the scheme has been used for its advertising and not on sectoral interventions such as in health and education for women.” According to a report in the Indian Express, “78.91 percent of the total fund has been spent by the states only on media advocacy.”

The report titled “Empowerment of women through education with special reference to Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme’’ was submitted in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The report noted that “of the Rs 446.72 crore released under the scheme between 2016 and 2019, 78.91 percent was spent on media advocacy, and not on sectoral intervention on health and education for women,” reported the Times of India. 

According to the IE report, since the inception of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, Rs 848 crore had been allocated, and the states were given Rs 622.48 crore (apart from the pandemic period in the financial year of 2020-21) but “only 25.13 percent of the funds, i.e. Rs 156.46 crore, has been spent by the states, reflecting not up to the mark performance”. It has been reported that the committee recommended that the ministry take up the issue with states and “ensure proper utilisation of BBBP funds for the benefit of the girl child,” adding, “The government should…focus on planned expenditure allocation for sectoral interventions in education and health.”

According to the report, nearly 80 percent of the funds for the scheme has been used for its advertising and not on sectoral interventions such as in health and education for women. The committee reportedly stated that “since its inception in 2014-15 till 2019-20, the total budgetary allocation under the scheme was Rs 848 crore, excluding the Covid-stricken. During this period, an amount Rs 622.48 crore was released to the states.”

Commenting on the “whopping 78.91%” spent “only on media advocacy” the committee stated that though it “understands the necessity to undertake a media campaign to spread the message of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao among the people, they have felt that it is equally important to balance the objectives of the scheme.” 

Related

Battleground Bengal: Adityanath promises Anti-Romeo Squads
Will Sangita Sengar talk about BJP’s beti bachao slogan when campaigning in UP? 
Uttarakhand CM Tirath Singh Rawat justifies objections to ripped jeans
NCW member blames Badaun gangrape victim! 

The post Bulk of Beti Bachao program funds allegedly spent on advertising appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In the ongoing monsoon session, the central government has revealed details about sexual abuse cases against children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The government was asked to answer questions on the rising trend of cases under the Act, the conviction rate, and the number of fast-track courts dealing with POCSO cases. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, however, was unable to provide data from 2020.

Cases under POCSO from 2015 to 2019

The year 2019 recorded the highest number of cases registered under POCSO at 47,335 when compared with previous years. Out of this number, 53,555 people have been charge-sheeted but only 6,994 people have been convicted and sent to prison.

39,827 cases had been registered in the year 2018 and 5,297 people had been convicted under the Act. The year 2017 saw 4,500 people convicted of crimes under POCSO and 2016 saw 3,859 people. There is also a huge difference between people arrested and people who eventually get convicted.

Uttar Pradesh has topped the list each year from 2015 to 2016 with the maximum number of people convicted under the POCSO Act, indicating the terrible state of affairs.

Fast track courts

In a separate response provided by the Women and Child Development Ministry on July 30, the Parliament was apprised that, through a centrally sponsored scheme, some 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) have been set up, including 389 Exclusive POCSO Courts for expeditious trial and disposal of rape and POCSO cases.

But out of 1,023 FTSCs, only 640 are functional across 26 States and Union Territories, and 338 Exclusive POCSO Courts out of 389. A total of only 40 cases have been disposed of in the fast-track courts and 484 cases have been disposed of in POCSO courts up until May, 2021.

Goa and Jammu and Kashmir are yet to operationalise FTSCs. Furthermore, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Island and Arunachal Pradesh have still not joined the Scheme for setting up special courts.

Pendency rate

In the year 2019, 47,335 cases were registered under POCSO and the cases pending trial at the end of the year stood at 1,33,068. These figures are way higher than 2017 and 2018. In the year 2017, 32,608 cases were registered and by the end of the year, 84143 cases were pending trial.

In 2018, 1,08,129 POCSO cases were pending for trial against a total number of 39,827 registered cases.

SabrangIndia also reported that between 2017 to 2019, as many as 1,340 cases were registered against caretakers or persons in charge of Juvenile Homes for abuse of children lodged in these Homes. The NCRB data says that in 2017, a total of 297 persons were arrested for crimes against children in CCIs, and in that only 13 persons were convicted. In the year 2018, the figure of persons arrested for these crimes increased drastically to 727 and the rate of conviction remained low at 14.

The answers may be read here:

Related:

Over 1,500 Children Homes caretakers arrested for child abuse, only 75 convicted
Nearly 50,000 atrocity cases registered under SC/ST Act in 2019: Centre

The post Over 47,000 cases registered under POCSO, more than 1.3 lakh cases pending in 2019: Centre appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Representational image

Dawoodi Bohra activists are “absolutely delighted” over the statement of Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD), Maneka Gandhi that the central government will pass a law to prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM) unless the community’s headpriest [Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin] voluntarily issues an advisory to the community to banish the practice.

Gandhi according to a report today in the Hindustan Times has described the practice of female genital mutilation (FMG, also referred to as female genital cutting, khatna) as a “criminal offence”.

On May 8, the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and four state governments in response to a PIL seeking the outlawing of the shameful practice.

It is reliably understood that the WCD ministry has sent advisories to state governments pointing out that FMG is a violation of sections of the IPC and the POSCO Act.

Also read: "I do not believe in your wisdom and power anymore": A Dawoodi Bohra woman's missive to Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin

“We will write to respective state governments and Syedna, the Bohra high priest, shortly to issue an edict to community members to give up FGM voluntarily as it is a crime under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012. If the Syedna does not respond then we will bring in a law to ban the practice in India,” Gandhi told the Hindustan Times.

“This is fantastic news and absolutely welcome”, the convener of the group ‘Speak Out Against FGM’, Masooma Ranalvi told Sabrang India. The group had recently launched an online petition calling upon the WCD minister to bring a law banning the practice.

“We are very excited and very happy”, enthused Arefa Johari of Sahiyo, an organization of Dawoodi Bohra women campaigning to end the practice of what it prefers to call female genital cutting (FGC).

Also read: SC Issues Notice On PIL Seeking Complete Ban On Female Genital Mutilation

“This is something we have been working at for a very long time and we heartily welcome the minister’s statement”, Johari added.

Ranalvi told SabrangIndia her group has been holding talks with the minister on how to banish the FGM practice which is “un-constitutional, against human rights and against existing Indian laws of the land”: Indian Penal Code (IPC) and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POSCO Act).   

Johari stated that individual members of Sahiyo who were victims of FGC had also made representations before the WCD ministry.

Also read: Bohra women want an end to the practice of “female genital cutting": Sahiyo report

“We hope that Syedna saheb (head priest of the global Dawoodi Bohra community will abide by the laws of the land and issue an advisory to all his Indian followers to give up the practice of FGM just as he has already issued advisories to all Dawoodi Bohras living in the West,” she told Sabrang India.

Ranalvi categorically asserted that what is referred to as khatna or khahafz is not “female circumcision” as the community’s priests pretend it to be but falls within the Type 1 and Type 4 categories of FMG as described by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Also read: Jain fasting or Bohra female circumcision, why should children bear the brunt of religious fervour?

It may be noted that FMG is considered a serious criminal act with severe consequences both under IPC and POSCO.

Section 326 of IPC: “Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means—Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 335, voluntarily causes grievous hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing or cutting, or any instrument which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, or by means of fire or any heated substance, or by means of any poison or any corrosive substance, or by means of any explosive substance, or by means of any substance which it is deleterious to the human body to inhale, to swallow, or to re­ceive into the blood, or by means of any animal, shall be pun­ished with 1[imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine”.
 
Section 327 of IPC: “Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act.—Whoever voluntarily causes hurt, for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer, or from any person inter­ested in the sufferer, any property or valuable security, or of constraining the sufferer or any person interested in such suf­ferer to do anything which is illegal or which may facilitate the commission of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine”.
 
Section 9 (h) (i) and (j) of the POSCO Act define Aggravated Sexual Assault as:
“(h) whoever commits sexual assault on a child using deadly weapons, fire, heated substance or corrosive substance; or
“(i) whoever commits sexual assault causing grievous hurt or causing bodily harm and injury or injury to the sexual organs of the child; or
“(j) whoever commits sexual assault on a child, which —
“(i) physically incapacitates the child or causes the child to become mentally ill as defined under clause (l) of section 2 of the Mental Health Act, 1987 or causes impairment of any kind so as to render the child unable to perform regular
tasks, temporarily or permanently”.
 
The punishment for aggravated sexual assault under the Act is “rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 10 years but which may extend to imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine”.
 
In the past year members of the Dawoodi Bohra community held responsible for FMG have been jailed in Australia last year. In USA last month federal authorities have made arrests and the accused face prosecution for performing, aiding or abetting FMG.
 

The post Dawoodi Bohra activists jubilant over Union Minister Maneka Gandhi’s plan to abolish female genital mutilation appeared first on SabrangIndia.