News Analysis India

Tag: National Commission for Women

  • NCW asks I&B ministry to intervene over depiction of obscene content in Marathi movie

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to immediately intervene over alleged obscene content depicting women and minors in an objectionable manner in a Marathi movie.

    The commission said it has received a complaint from Bharatiya Stree Shakti, Maharashtra, on an upcoming Marathi film titled “Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha” which is scheduled to be released on Friday over alleged obscene content in the film.

    The complaint alleges that the trailer of the film, which was released on January 10, shows obscene content depicting women and minors in objectionable ways.

    The trailer is being circulated on social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, etc without any age restrictions for viewers and hence is available even for minors to watch, the commission said in a statement.

    The NCW said it condemns the open circulation of such sexually explicit content involving minors on social media platforms.

    NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, to immediately intervene in the matter and censor the trailer and the sexually explicit scenes of the movie.

    “The Commission has also asked to ensure that the sexually explicit scenes are not circulated openly on social media platforms. A copy of the letter has also been sent to Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification. The Commission has to be apprised about action taken in the matter at the earliest,” the NCW said.

  • NCW seeks time-bound probe into rape, murder of Madhya Pradesh woman by her father

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday asked the Madhya Pradesh Police to conduct a probe in a time-bound manner in the case related to the alleged rape and murder of a woman by her father.

    The man, 55, allegedly raped and strangled his daughter to death as he was upset about her love marriage in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal district, police said on Tuesday.

    The police on Monday arrested the accused and his son over the incident that took place in Samasgarh forest area, Ratibad police station in-charge Sudhesh Tiwari said.

    “@NCWIndia has taken cognisance of the disturbing incident. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to @DGP_MP to immediately arrest the accused & book him under relevant provisions of law. NCW has sought a time-bound investigation. Copy of the letter has also been sent to SP, Bhopal,” the NCW tweeted.

    However, the copy of the letter was not shared.

  • Sleeve-snipping to check examination cheating in Rajasthan invites NCW ire

    By Express News Service

    JAIPUR/NEW DELHI:  The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of media reports of a male security guard who was seen cutting the sleeve of the top worn by a female candidate outside the examination centre for the Rajasthan Administrative Service held on Wednesday.

    In Delhi, the BJP charged the Congress-led Rajasthan government with employing restrictive measures forcing internet shutdown in the name of holding free and fair exams in the state. 

    The BJP said the state government has shut down internet as many as 78 times which has affected normal life on a large scale, causing trade loss and inconveniences to the people.

    NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to state Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya to act against those responsible for snipping the sleeve of female examinees.

    The NCW said it has come across an outrageous media post wherein a male security guard can be seen cutting the sleeves of a top worn by a female candidate and has also sought an explanation why no female guard was deputed for checking the women candidates.

    “How can they cut the clothes of girls in the name of controlling cheating? This is atrocious. @ashokgehlot51 you must stop this,” tweeted Sharma. 

    She strongly objected to the incident reported from an exam centre in Bikaner district on Wednesday.

    To counter cheating, the Rajasthan government had issued a list of dos and don’ts. Female candidates were instructed not to wear sleeved clothes while appearing for the exam.

    The government had also suspended mobile internet, bulk SMS and access to social media services in many districts.

    Paper leaks and cheating rackets have been a huge headache for the state government.

    Over the past year, such incidents have rocked five major competitive exams, including the test to recruit SIs, NEET, JEN, librarians and REET.

    Right to dignity

    “It is utterly humiliating to make women go through such harassment and NCW strongly condemns the shameful incident,” the NCW said.

    Its chief has sought strict action against those responsible for violating the right of women to live with dignity.

  • NCW chief seeks Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s resignation over #MeToo allegations

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma has sought the resignation of newly-appointed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the “#MeToo allegations” levelled against him.

    In a statement, Sharma said it was “shameful” that such a person was appointed the chief minister of Punjab.

    “This is shameful and highly objectionable that such a person has been appointed as the CM of Punjab. We do not want another woman to go through the same experience and endure the same harassment that the IAS officer would have faced. Channi needs to be held accountable and should resign from the post of CM,” she said.

    ​ALSO READ | ‘I am aam aadmi, mine is govt of the poor’: Charanjit Singh Channi sworn in as Punjab CM

    Sharma said that the Punjab State Commission for Women had taken cognisance of the incident yet the state government did not take any action against him.

    “I am shocked and utterly disappointed to find that Charanjit Singh Channi, a MeToo accused who had allegedly sent an inappropriate text message to a female IAS officer in 2018, has been appointed as the chief minister of Punjab,” Sharma said.

    “One can only imagine what would be the state of women safety in the state given the one at the helm of affairs is himself accused of threatening women security.

    ALSO READ | Charanjit Singh Channi’s journey from being elected to municipal council to becoming first Dalit CM of Punjab

    If an IAS officer has been denied justice in the state, how can the Congress ensure that the common women of Punjab would be safe? Despite being a woman herself, the Congress chief did not consider the MeToo allegations made against Channi and appointed him the CM,” she said.

    The issue had resurfaced in May this year when the Punjab women panel chief threatened to go on a hunger strike if the state government failed to apprise her within a week of its stand on the “inappropriate text” message allegedly sent by Channi, who was then a minister in the Amarinder Singh government.

    Punjab Women Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati had said she had written to the chief secretary seeking the government’s action taken report.

  • 46 per cent rise in complaints of crimes against women in 2021 so far; over half from UP: NCW

    In July, as many as 3,248 complaints were received by the NCW which is the highest in a month since June 2015, it added.

  • National Commission of Women chairperson Rekha Sharma gets nominated for another term

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The Women and Child Welfare Ministry said that Rekha Sharma has been nominated as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) for another term of three years by the Central Government on Saturday.

    The nomination was confirmed by a press release on Press Information Bureau (PIB). The press release said: “In pursuance of Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (20 of 1990), Central Government hereby nominates Smt. Rekha Sharma, as Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, for another term of three years w.e.f. 07.08.2021, or till the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.”

  • NCW summons Rajasthan Police chief for allegedly mishandling women during ‘forceful displacement’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned the Rajasthan Police chief on Monday over reports of women being allegedly mishandled during “forceful displacement” of people residing in a part of Jaipur.

    Taking cognisance of the incident, the commission has directed the state’s Director General of Police to take immediate action in the matter.

    “The NCW while taking suo motu cognisance of media reports regarding forceful displacement of residents living in Parshuram Circle, Jaipur, has directed the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, to appear before the commission on June 14, 2021 at 12:30 pm,” the NCW said.

    “The commission had also sought explanation for mishandling of women by officers concerned and even ignoring COVID-19 protocols.

    The commission has agreed to the request of the DGP to appear via video conferencing considering COVID protocols,” it said in a statement.

    The DGP has also been directed to provide the status of matters of heinous crimes against women.

  • Post-poll violence against women in Bengal: NCW asks state DGP to appear before it

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women has sent a notice to the Director General of Police, West Bengal to appear before it in person on May 31 with complete action taken reports on incidents of alleged violence against women in the state after assembly polls.

    The NCW had set up an inquiry committee while taking suo motu cognisance of several incidents of violence against women in West Bengal.

    The NCW said the committee had also visited the state and observed that the State government and police paid no heed to women victims and no effective steps were being taken to ensure safety and security of women.

    “Despite several reminders, there were also a large number of complaints and cases of suo motu cognisance by the Commission, wherein the final report is still awaited from police authorities,” the Commission said in a statement.

    ALSO READ | West Bengal post-poll violence: SC issues notice to Mamata government

    The Commission said it has on multiple occasions observed that the West Bengal Police is “non-cooperative”‘ towards the Commission in dealing with matters related to atrocities against women in the state.

    “Therefore, the National Commission for Women has sent a notice to Director General of Police, West Bengal to appear before the Commission in person on May 31 at 12:30 pm with complete action taken reports on the matters forwarded by the Commission,” the NCW said.

    The Commission also sought complete district-wise details of reported crimes against women, FIRs registered and action taken thereof from April 1, 2021 onwards is also to be provided to the Commission.

    The Commission has also directed to apprise it about the measures taken to ensure safety and security of women in the state.

  • Bengal violence: NCW asks DGP to probe incidents of attack on women; Mamata holds emergency meeting

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday said it has taken suo motu cognisance of videos purportedly showing women being beaten up in West Bengal’s Nandigram after the assembly election in the state.

    West Bengal was in the throes of widespread violence on Monday that allegedly left several BJP workers dead and injured in clashes, and shops being looted, prompting the Centre to seek a factual report from the state government on the incidents of attack on opposition workers.

    In a letter to the director general of police (DGP) of the state, the NCW has sought immediate action against those accused in the violence, and demanded a time-bound investigation in the matter.

    “The National Commission for Women (NCW) has come across several Twitter posts wherein some goons can be seen beating up women in Nandigram, West Bengal, post elections. The commission is deeply perturbed and has viewed this incident seriously as it questions the safety and security of women in the state,” a statement from the commission said.

    ALSO READ | Bengal violence: Trinamool worker stabbed to death in Ketugram; security provided to returning officer of Nandigram

    “Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Director General of Police, West Bengal, to take immediate action and arrest the accused persons without any delay,” it added.

    A team headed by the NCW chairperson will be visiting West Bengal for further inquiry into the matter, the statement said.

    Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday held a meeting with the top administrative and police officers of the state on the post poll violence in the state, an official said.

    In the meeting, which was held at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence. She took stock of the situation, he told PTI.

    Present in the meeting were Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay, Home Secretary H K Dwidevi, Director General of Police P Nirajnayan and Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra, the official said.

    The state has witnessed a number of incidents of violence since Sunday when the results of the assembly election was declared and rivals TMC and BJP have traded charges for it.

    At least six people were killed in post poll violence in different parts of the state including one in the city, police said.

    ALSO READ | ‘PM called me, expressed anguish over Bengal’s law and order situation’: Governor on post-poll violence

    BJP has alleged that TMC-backed goons have killed a number of its workers, attacked its woman members, vandalised houses, looted shops of the party members and ransacked party offices.

    TMC has denied the charges.

    West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had telephoned him and expressed anguish over the law and order situation in the state following reports of post-poll violence from several districts.

    Banerjee had on Sunday asked people to show restraint and not be involved in any form of violence.

    The union home ministry had on Monday sought a factual report from the government on attacks on opposition workers and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had summoned state Home Secretary, DGP and Kolkata Commissioner of Police and directed them to restore peace.

  • ‘Ruling will have cascading effects’: NCW to challenge Bombay High Court’s groping judgment

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women on Monday said it will challenge in the Supreme Court the Bombay High Court judgment which said groping without “skin to skin” contact is not sexual assault as defined under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

    This judgment will not only have a cascading effect on various provisions involving safety and security of women in general but also subject all women to ridicule, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma said.

    It has trivialised the legal provisions provided by the legislature for the safety and security of women, she said.

    “@NCWIndia is challenging the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench judgement in Criminal Appeal No.161 of 2020, Satish Ragde v.State of Maharashtra dated 19.01.2021,” Sharma tweeted and added that the commission is going to challenge it in the Supreme Court.

    ​ALSO READ | Obnoxious, unacceptable, outrageous: Activists slam Bombay HC groping judgement

    Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, in a judgment passed on January 19, held that there must be “skin to skin contact with sexual intent” for an act to be considered sexual assault.

    She said in her verdict that mere groping will not fall under the definition of sexual assault.

    In another tweet, Sharma said, “This judgment will not only have cascading effect on various provisions involving safety and security of women in general but also put all the women under ridicule and has trivialized the legal provisions provided by the legislature for the safety and security of women”.