A slew of measures for women safety in Delhi after Nirbhaya case
The Delhi government has taken a slew of measures for women safety, including installation of CCTV cameras and deployment of marshals in buses, after the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape-and-murder case. Nearly 1.3 lakh CCTV cameras have so far been installed across Delhi and 1.7 lakh more are in the process under a Delhi government project aimed at ensuring safety of women. A senior government official said a total of three lakh CCTV cameras will be installed in all 70 assembly constituencies under the ambitious project being executed by the public works department.
The government has recently procured 428 new cluster buses which are equipped with panic buttons, CCTV cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) device.
A 23-year-old paramedic student, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, and her friend had boarded a private bus from Munirka stand on the fateful night of December 16, 2012.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently announced that the government would install three CCTV cameras, 10 panic buttons and GPS device in each of the existing 5,500 DTC and cluster buses, which he said is aimed at making women passengers feel safer in public transport.
According to the official, 1,3000 marshals are currently deployed every day in all DTC and cluster buses, a move also directed at ensuring women safety.
The government has also made it mandatory for all public vehicles, including buses, auto-rickshaws, taxis and cabs, install GPS device, which intends to track their location in case of crime cases.
As part of women safety measures, the government has decided to light up "dark spots" which often cause crime in the national capital. "A total of two lakh LED street lights will be installed to light up dark spots. The process has begun to execute the project," official said.
Recently, the government announced that it would administer pledge to students of all schools and colleges to respect women.
Under the initiative, a one-hour classroom discussion on respecting women will be conducted.
According to the plan, girl students will also be asked to talk to their brothers on the issue of respecting women and warn them against any wrongdoing.
Once a girl talks to her brother on the issue, she will be required to tell her class about it.
Nirbhaya was gang-raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, inside a running bus in south Delhi by six people and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. She succumbed to injuries on Dec 29 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
The four convicts in the gang rape-and-murder case have been sentenced to death.
Ram Singh, one of convicts, had allegedly killed himself in 2013 while a juvenile, who was among the six accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board.
He was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.
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