2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau – Tags: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC COOPERATION AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme

(Ministry of Women and Child Development)

WHAT

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India is implementing One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme for setting up One Stop Centre since 1st April 2015 to support women affected by violence.

This is a subscheme of Umbrella Scheme for National Mission for Empowerment of women including Indira Gandhi Mattritav Sahyaog Yojana.
In India gender-based violence has many manifestations like domestic and sexual violence including rape, to harmful practices such as dowry, honour killings, acid attacks, witch-hunting, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, sex-selective abortion, sati etc.

The Article 1 of UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence 1993 defines gender-based violence as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.

ONE STOP CENTRES SCHEME

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), has formulated a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting up One Stop Centres (OSC), to be funded from the Nirbhaya Fund.
The scheme was implemented on April 1, 2015, and is popularly known as Sakhi.
This scheme is implemented with 100% Central assistance.
OSCs have been established across the country to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence.
Also, the scheme of Universalization of Women’s Helpline (181) of the Ministry was also started in April, 2015.
Assessment of the performance of the functioning of the OSCs was carried out by the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD).

AIM

OSCs aim to support women who are affected by violence in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace.
The initiative intends to provide support, remedy and specialized services to women facing physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse irrespective of their age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race and culture.
OSC will be established in each State/UT to facilitate access to an integrated range of services including medical ais, legal aid/ counselling, psychological support, psycho-social counselling, temporary stay for 5 days etc.

TARGET GROUP

The OSC will support all women including girls below 18 years of age affected by violence, irrespective of caste, class, religion, region, sexual orientation or marital status.

For girls below 18 years of age, institutions and authorities established under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 will be linked with the OSC.

NIRBHAYA FUND

Ministry of Finance has established ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ with an initial corpus of Rs.1000 crore for women safety pertaining to the strategic areas of prevention, protection and rehabilitation.

The 12th Plan Working Group on Women’s Agency and Empowerment had recommended setting up of One Stop Crisis Centres, on pilot basis, for providing shelter, police desk, legal, medical and counselling services to victims of violence under one roof integrated with a 24 hour Helpline.

USHA MEHRA COMMISSION

Justice (Retd.) Usha Mehra Commission was set up to suggest measures to improve women’s safety.

In its recommendation, it is said that there is a need for the establishment of a “one-stop centre” at a notified hospital to help victims of sexual assault and ensure speedy punishment to culprits.

Other Major Findings:

Lack of Coordination between the Police and the transport department
Lack of cooperation between the police of the National Capital Territory and National Capital Region plays a great role in the escape of the criminals from one place to another
Lack of PCR vans and public transport facility in Delhi

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM

The State Government will have the authority to constitute a grievance redressal mechanism to address the complaints related to the functioning of OSC. The purpose is to have enough checks and balances in place to provide quality service that is timely, appropriate and dealt with sensitivity, respect and confidentiality wherever required. The States/UTs have the power to establish this mechanism in any manner they choose.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC COOPERATION AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

NIPCCD is a premier organisation devoted to the promotion of voluntary action research, training and documentation in the overall domain of women and child development.
Established in New Delhi in the year 1966 under Societies Registration Act of 1860, it functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Four regional Centres: Guwahati (1978), Bangalore (1980), Lucknow (1982) and Indore (2001)
The Institute functions as an apex institution for training functionaries of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme.
It has also been designated, by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the nodal institution for imparting training on two important issues of Child Rights and Prevention of trafficking of women children for SAARC countries.
Institute’s expertise and performance was recognized by UNICEF in 1985 when it awarded the Maurice Pate Award for its outstanding contribution in the field of Child Development.

Source: PIB

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