Policy Update
Fatima Firdaus
Introduction
One-Stop Centre, also known as Sakhi, is a scheme under the Ministry of Women & Child Development (GOI). It was established on 1 April, 2015 to provide safety, rehabilitation, and support to the women who suffered any kind of injustice or violence of any nature, adhering to Article 15 of the Constitution of India.
The term one-stop centre refers to its inclusive nature; it indicates its multipurpose strength, i.e., if a victim or survivor reaches out to the OSC for help, she will get easy access to the police, court, and rehabilitation centre under one roof.
Background
In the wake of the Nirbhaya case, the Justice Verma Committee was set up by the Government of India on 23 December 2012 under the chairperson Justice J.S. Verma, former Chief Justice of India, and other members—Justice (Retd.) Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium (former Solicitor General of India). The committee submitted its report within 29 days (Jan. 23, 2013), and the recommendation of providing justice and rehabilitation to the victim women led to the foundation of the One-Stop Centre on April 1, 2015, under the Ministry of Women & Child Development within the umbrella of the Nirbhaya Fund to provide access to justice, ensure their safety, and work on their rehabilitation and support.
Target
• All the women who adhere to Article 15 and are affected by the violence.
• Includes girls below 18 years old under the 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.
Accessing the One-Stop Centre
Affected women can access the OSC’s service in the following way:
1.) By herself;
- 2.) Through any person, such as
- Public-spirited
- Family
- Friend
- Relative
- NGO
- Volunteer
- Public Servant (as defined under section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860)
Pic. via ONE STOP CENTRE SCHEME IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR STATE GOVERNMENTS/UT ADMINISTRATIONS APRIL 2015;
Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India
Service Delivery Framework:
- Centre Administrator:
The centre administrator must be a woman, the first person to be in contact with the victim at OSCs, register the case, monitor the case, supervise the other services, maintain the documents, and approve and send the quarterly report. - Case Worker:
Assist the centre administrator and provide service 24/7. - Police Facilitation Officer (PFO):
Help the victim to lodge an FIR, make access to the remote areas as well, guide the victim on the availability of legal support, and arrange video/audio statement recording under CrPC. - Paralegal Personnel/Lawyer:
Assist the victim by educating her about the laws and rights available to her and making the procedure simple. - Para Medical Personnel:
Provide aid and perform examination, ensure forensic protocols (MoHFW) are followed, and record the medical history. - Counsellor:
Responsible for providing mental health support, free psychological counselling, and follow-up if required.
In addition to all of them, there are provisions for the offices of IT Staff, Multi-purpose Helper, and Security Guard/Night Guard.
Services: Functions performed by the OSCI
- Emergency Response & Rescue:
Those women who are affected by the violence are rescued with the emergency response, along with such as the National Health Mission (NHM), 108 service, and police (PCR Van), which allows for the earliest reduction, medical examination, and shelter home. - Medical Assistance:
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, women must be taken to the nearest hospital to provide them with the necessary aid and a medical examination that would be added to the report. - Assistance to women in lodging FIR/NCR/DIR:
Help the victims to get the legal access that is to facilitate the lodging of FIR/NCR/DIR. - Psycho-Social Support/Counselling:
The counsellor would provide psychosocial counselling within the prescribed code of ethics, guidelines, and protocols and will be available on call. This will help the victims to gain confidence and support to address the injustice and seek justice. - Legal Aid and Counseling:
Through the empanelled lawyers or National/State/District Legal Service Authority, it was to facilitate the access to justice for the women who are affected by violence. They were given the lawyer of their choice. - Shelter:
Two types of shelter are being provided :
- Temporary shelters, along with a basic survival kit. It can be available for a maximum of 5 days.
- Long-Term Shelter—Arrangements will be made with Swadhar Greh/Short Stay Home.
- Video Conferencing:
OSC utilises the online facility to enrich the availability of justice to the remote areas as well through Skype, Google Conferencing, etc., through audio-video electronics under sections 161(3), 164(1), and 275(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure and section 231(1) in line with Order XVIII Rule 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure after consultation.
Way Forward
- Awareness programmes for women to access the availability of OSCs should be organized.
- A sensitisation programme and regular training for the service provider must be arranged to strengthen their capacity and efficiency.
- Arrangements should be made for the rehabilitation and survival of the survivors.
Conclusion
One-stop Centre is a revolutionary move by the Government of India. As of now, 733 OSCs have been approved, out of which 704 have been operationalized in 35 States/ UTs (except in the State of West Bengal), which have assisted over 4.50 lakh women in the country till September, 2021 is a milestone success. The service includes medical, legal, psychological, police assistance, and shelter, allowing women to speak up for the injustice and seek justice.
However, there is a need for periodic monitoring and efficiency of the OSCs that would make it a strong support system for women.
References
About the Contributor: Fatima Firdaus, a Research Intern at IMPRI, Graduated in Political Science, pursuing Specialization in Human Rights at Aligarh Muslim University. Her area of interest is Gender Justice, Minority Rights and Global Affairs.
Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her support and guidance. A special Thanks to Ms. Arti Kumari– Centre Administrator, Gaya, BR
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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