Since April 1, 2015, one of the Nirbhaya Fund’s projects, the “One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme,” has been implemented nationwide. As of May 2022, over 700 One Stop Centres (OSCs) have opened across India.
These centers have helped more than three lakh women. OSCs aim to provide many services to women who have faced abuse under one roof. These services include police help, medical care, legal and mental health counseling, and temporary shelter.
OSCs must be within two kilometers of hospitals. They can be in new buildings made for this purpose or existing structures. The government is establishing One Stop Centres in all districts across India. Different ministries and agencies work together on this. A committee approves proposals to use money from the Nirbhaya yojana for this work.
Monitoring And Evaluation
In collaboration with the relevant Central Ministries/Departments, the MWCD is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the progress of sanctioned projects/schemes under the Nirbhaya yojana.
The monitoring and reporting method to be used at the State Government/UT level and at the level of the relevant Central Government Ministry/Department should be included in the proposal.
Strict monitoring will be implemented for all applications, including those the EC has already evaluated, and monies will be distributed to the corresponding Ministries/Departments or States/UTs.
Funding Pattern
60:40 for all States
90:10 for States with difficult terrains
100% for UTs
Few initiatives are 100% funded
The funds for the projects shall be released following the procedure prescribed in GFR 2005.
The three major schemes under Nirbhaya yojana are listed below:
One-Stop Center Scheme
To address the violence against women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) maintains a centrally backed scheme.
It is part of the National Mission for Women’s Empowerment, including the Indira Gandhi Mattritav Sahyaog Yojana.
A one-stop center will be established nationwide to provide complete support and help to women abused under one roof in private and public settings.
The Nirbhaya Fund and the central government are both sponsors of the scheme.
Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs)
The Department of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly launched the Mahila Police Volunteers Scheme to recruit MPVs in the States and UTs.
It is a central sector initiative that seeks to link public aid for needy women with public policy.
Universalisation of Women Helpline
All States and Union Territories now have access to short code 181, used as a women’s helpline by several States and UTs, including Delhi, Chandigarh, and Chhattisgarh.
Under this Scheme, States and UTs must designate this short code 181 as a women’s helpline (WHL).
