Supreme Court to Review PIL for Nationwide Women's Safety Regulations
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New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has agreed to review a public interest litigation (PIL) that calls for the formulation of comprehensive safety regulations, reforms, and initiatives aimed at ensuring the protection of women across the nation.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant and consisting of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice and requested a response from the Union government regarding this matter.
"We need to evaluate the gaps in our approach to achieving effective punitive and penal laws. The issue is not merely the severity of punishment but stems from deeper concerns," the bench observed.
The hearing for this plea is scheduled to continue in January 2025.
Senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, representing the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, pointed out that while Parliament has enacted stringent laws, the lack of timely and effective implementation due to "corruption, unwillingness, and negligence among police and administrative bodies" results in a lack of fear among offenders.
The PIL urges the apex court to officially recognize and establish strict guidelines with a focus on timely execution to prevent incidents of sexual violence against women.
Furthermore, it requests the court to apply the doctrine of ‘parens patriae’ to uphold the fundamental rights of women, children, and the third gender in the nation, which includes their rights to safety, a secure workplace, adequate sanitation, personal dignity, bodily integrity, and a safe environment.
The plea underscores the alarming increase in crimes against women, girls, and infants reported across the nation, particularly in Kolkata, Delhi, Bihar, Karnataka, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and other regions, perpetrated by sexual offenders, pedophiles, and sexual maniacs.
It referenced the tragic incident involving the gang rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, an event that has profoundly shocked the nation's conscience and serves as a grim reminder that little has changed since 2012.
"The recent gangrape of a young trainee doctor in Kolkata is just one of many incidents that reveal the systemic ineptitude, bureaucratic stagnation, and cowardice displayed by law enforcement agencies, alongside political mischief, illustrating the dangerous and gruesome state of women's safety in India. From the Nirbhaya Case to Abhaya, the violence has only escalated to a horrifying degree against women," the petition articulated.
It further asserted that rather than politicizing sensitive matters, the government should prioritize the safety of vulnerable citizens and increase funding designated for protecting women, children, and the third gender.
"The harsh truth is that India only reacts when media coverage highlights a few shocking rape cases that unsettle and traumatize the public," the petition stated.
The PIL also calls for directives to schools to implement gender sensitivity education alongside sex education, along with regular workshops conducted by qualified child psychologists and counselors to teach boys and girls about biological changes during their teenage years and how to cope with these changes healthily.
Given the concerning rise in adolescent issues related to misinformation about gender equity, life skills, sexual harassment, abuse, legal ages for marriage, and juvenile delinquency, it urged the government to initiate and implement nationwide adolescent programs.
