Nirbhaya fund

The Nirbhaya rape-murder case, which sparked nationwide outrage and led to the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act to deal stringently with cases of sexual assault, will be a decade old in December this year. In the wake of the 2012 tragedy, the Union Government had set up the Nirbhaya fund, which was to be utilised for projects aimed at improving the safety and security of women. Under-utilisation of this non-lapsable corpus fund, as pointed out by a parliamentary standing committee, is a big let-down. The committee’s report mentions that out of the allocation of Rs 9,549 crore, a sum of Rs 4,241 crore was released and about Rs 2,989 crore was spent. The panel has recommended that the ministries concerned must develop a robust mechanism for constant monitoring of various projects and schemes, while highlighting the need for their effective implementation by bringing state governments on board.

It’s a pity that both the Centre and the states have fallen short of realising the potential of the Nirbhaya fund, which envisages the setting up of women’s helplines and the use of CCTV cameras for real-time intervention so as to achieve the twin objectives of reducing crimes against women and increasing the prosecution rate. The conviction rate of such crimes encouragingly rose from 19.3 per cent in 2019 to 23 per cent in 2020, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. The corresponding annual caseload fell by 8.3 per cent, even though the nationwide lockdown and other Covid-related restrictions contributed to the lower figure in 2020. Statistics, however, tell only half the story as under-reporting of cases continues to be a major stumbling block.

A pan-India audit is required to determine whether the projects bankrolled by the Nirbhaya fund have made a visible difference on the ground and what factors are impeding optimum utilisation of the grants. The laggard states should be told to get their act together. The 10th anniversary of the horrifying tragedy offers the Central and state governments an ideal opportunity to rededicate themselves to ensuring a safe environment for women in public as well as private spaces.

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