Probing the Reality of India's One Stop Centres for Women in Distress

Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, has frequently highlighted the central government's efforts to improve women's conditions. Specifically, she points to the one-stop centre scheme, which she describes as a major achievement of the Modi government in assisting women nationwide. According to minister Irani, the government has launched One Stop Centres in over 700 districts across the country to aid women affected by violence. However, our investigation paints a different picture. Many of these one stop centres are reportedly inaccessible, non-operational, and largely unknown to the women they aim to serve. 

One Stop Centres: Relief or False Promise?

Introduced in 2015, One Stop Centres (OSC) aim to support women facing violence, whether in private or public spaces, including within the family, community, or workplace. Funded by the Nirbhaya Fund, the central scheme is intended to provide comprehensive assistance to women under one roof. The services promised by OSCs include emergency response and rescue, medical assistance, help with filing police reports, psycho-social support and counselling, legal aid, and temporary shelter.

The Ministry claims that 769 OSCs are currently operational. However, our investigation reveals a stark contrast to these claims. In-depth examination has uncovered troubling discrepancies concerning the functionality and accessibility of these centres.

Are OSCs Only Accessible on Paper?

For a woman in distress, the initial step often involves a desperate phone call seeking immediate help. However, our investigation into the functionality of the OSCs uncovered alarming irregularities. When attempting to contact OSCs listed in the official directory, we frequently found that the numbers were either non-existent, perpetually switched off, or misleadingly redirected to unrelated businesses. In one case, a call intended for an OSC was answered by a man who said it was a private hotel and not an OSC. Why was the governnment providing private hoteliers' numbers in their official government directory under the banner of OSCs for women in distress? 

For days, our team persistently attempted to contact the Sakhi - One Stop Centre at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in Delhi, only to find the phone number nonfunctional. A similar lack of accessibility was encountered at the OSC in Jahangirpuri, which returned a message stating, "Incoming call is not available on this number, it will be resumed post recharge." Continued efforts to reach the OSC in Hari Nagar yielded no response, and the OSC in Shahdara informed us, "This facility is not available on your telephone."

Beyond Delhi, we faced similar challenges. In Balasore, Odisha, the centre's number was perpetually switched off. Repeated calls to the OSC in Rayagada went unanswered, as did calls to the OSC in Puducherry. Moreover, when attempting to contact the OSC in Gurdaspur, Punjab, we were informed that the subscriber number was currently out of order. 

When we called the OSC in Pathankot, it said - the number you have dialled is invalid. When we called the OSC in Baran district in Rajasthan, the call was received by a man and he said that this was a private hotel’s number. “We get a lot of calls asking whether this is a One Stop Centre but then we tell them that this is a hotel and this is a wrong number”.  A similar situation occurred in Kaimur, Bihar, where a man who answered the call informed us that he had ceased working at the OSC in 2020, yet his number was still incorrectly listed not only for Kaimur but also for the OSCs in Madhubani and Samastipur. He expressed confusion about why his number remained in the directory.

Further attempts to connect with the OSC in Motihari resulted in another invalid number report. In Koriya district, Chhattisgarh, we received a message stating that the number did not have incoming service and would become active after a recharge. Consistent issues persisted in the Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh, where the incoming facility to the dialed number was repeatedly unavailable. Similarly, attempts to reach the OSC in Haryana were thwarted by notifications that the number was invalid. 

Interestingly, when the OSC in Uttarkashi was contacted, a woman responded, informing us that she no longer works with the OSC. Despite having left over a year ago, she continues to receive numerous calls from women in distress. She expressed her helplessness, pointing out that it is the government's responsibility to update the contact information, a task evidently neglected. 

When attempting to contact the One Stop Centre (OSC) in Bahadrabad, Uttarakhand, the recorded message stated that the number did not exist. A similar experience unfolded with OSCs in Wokha and Venthar, Nagaland, where we were told that the numbers we dialled were not valid. Moreover, when reaching out to the OSC in South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, a woman answered only to quickly dismiss the call, stating, "no no no, wrong number." 

When contacting the OSC in Thane, Maharashtra, a woman informed us that although she was previously in charge, she no longer held that position. Similar issues were encountered with the OSC in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, where the number was reported as invalid. Persistent efforts to reach the Nasik OSC on multiple occasions also proved fruitless, as no one responded. 

In a particularly revealing conversation with a man who answered the call at the OSC in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, he disclosed that he had not been associated with the OSC for three years, and to his knowledge, there was no functioning OSC in Dhanbad. He suggested that women should turn to the police station instead, revealing that the facility had been closed since his departure three years ago. When we reached out to the OSC in Bokaro, Jharkhand, the response echoed previous instances of callous disregard towards the implementation of the scheme. A woman who answered the call informed us that she had been transferred to another department just a week ago. However, she clarified that she is a government servant but had never been employed at any OSC and was perplexed as to why her number was associated with the government directory related to OSC. 

As we continued to contact more One Stop Centres, the prevailing issues became increasingly apparent. Across multiple locations, we encountered invalid or incorrect phone numbers, and individuals unrelated to the OSCs expressed confusion over receiving calls from distressed victims. This disarray raises serious questions about how victims in urgent need can reliably access these supposed havens.

Further probe revealed additional concerns. During our in-person visits to some operational OSCs in the Delhi NCR region, we found that the shelters, intended to provide refuge for women in distress, were empty. Not a single woman was present during our visits. Additionally, the staffing at these centres did not comply with government regulations, and the legal aid available was often provided by inexperienced, junior personnel ill-equipped to handle sensitive cases. The OSCs, rather than serving as a vital resource for assistance, seemed to function as mere extensions of local police stations, with the crucial difference being that while one knows how to approach a police station, finding and accessing an OSC is a daunting, if not an impossible task.

Awareness and Accessibility: Major Impediments to OSCs

Hemalatha (name changed), a domestic violence survivor from Jharkhand, shared her harrowing ordeal with The Probe. Despite assurances that dowry demands would cease post-wedding, her in-laws continued to extort money from her. "They stopped providing me with food or clothes, beat me, and locked me up. They threw cold water on me during the chilling winters," a sobbing Hemalatha told The Probe. Her plight worsened as she was forced to finance her in-law’s household expenses from her father, including basic necessities like milk and eggs, to merely stay alive at her in-laws' house. Even when her case reached the family court, the judge sided with her husband, alleges Hemalatha.

Hemalatha sought justice through various avenues but was repeatedly let down. OSCs are supposed to provide relief to victims of violence like Hemalatha but notably, she says she was unaware of the existence of such centres. This lack of awareness is not isolated to her; many victims are either unaware of these centres and those who know of their existence do not know how to access them. 

Sonia Yadav, a 54-year-old resident of Delhi originally from Bihar, has endured years of domestic violence, a situation that worsened recently when both her husband and daughter assaulted her. "They beat me up and threw me out of the house," Sonia disclosed. In her quest for justice, she approached the Mehrauli police station in Delhi to file a complaint, but to her dismay, the police took no action. Instead, she found more support through an NGO than from the authorities meant to protect her.

Echoing Hemalatha's experience, Sonia also expressed her unawareness of the OSC's designed to aid victims of violence. 

Shakuntala Devi, a 51-year-old woman from Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh, is grappling with the aftermath of a horrifying acid attack. "It's been over a year since this incident. Four people attacked me, and I recognised three of them," she recounted. Despite her attempts to seek justice—including filing a complaint, trying to meet with the UP Chief Minister in Lucknow and Gorakhpur and moving to Delhi seeking relief—her quest for justice remains unfulfilled. She alleges that the police altered the nature of her case, not registering it as an acid attack despite having medical reports and evidence confirming the severity of her injuries.

"The status of my case is unclear, and no one is cooperating with us," Shakuntala said. Her struggle highlights not only the challenges victims face in securing justice but also the systemic issues within law enforcement in accurately addressing and registering such crimes. Despite her extensive efforts to reach out to numerous authorities, Shakuntala, like many other victims, was unaware of the OSCs, which are supposed to provide crucial support to individuals in her situation. 

Acid Attack Survivor on One Stop Centres 

Sonali Mukherjee, an acid attack survivor, described the harrowing event that changed her life: "This incident took place in 2003 on 22 April during midnight. Some boys in my neighbourhood were troubling me a lot. When I resisted it, finally they decided to take revenge. In the night, when we were sleeping on the terrace of my house with my family, they threw acid on me and then they ran away. Because of this incident, I completely lost my eyesight."

Despite the gravity of her situation, securing justice has been a protracted battle. Sonali managed to get an FIR registered, and the three perpetrators were arrested. However, their release on bail soon after has left her walking from pillar to post for justice for years. She revealed, "The case is still going on. The sessions court gave a nine-year sentence to the accused in the case, but all of a sudden, the high court granted them bail. I am still fighting the case. Since the last 20 years."

The contrast between her life and those of her attackers is stark. "The men are married. They have family and children. My life is ruined. Society has accepted them back, but I am still struggling for justice for over two decades." 

When Sonali was asked about her awareness of the OSCs, which were introduced in 2015, she conveyed her mixed feelings about their accessibility and effectiveness. "I have heard about the OSCs. It never came to my rescue because when my incident happened, there were no such centres. I know for a fact that not many women know about these OSCs. What are they? Where are they located? How to approach them? Women are clueless."

She points out the shortcomings in government initiatives to make these services known and accessible to women who might be in dire need of them. "This is primarily because the government has not invested much in creating awareness amongst women about these centres," she adds. 

Total Lack of Awareness Regarding OSCs

Pragya Prasun, who herself survived an acid attack just 12 days into her marriage in 2006, now leads the Atijeevan Foundation, an organisation dedicated to assisting acid attack victims. Reflecting on her own experiences and those she encounters through her work, she points out a significant gap in the system—the awareness around OSCs, which were non-existent at the time of her attack. "There is no awareness about OSCs at all. As a person running an organisation like Atijeevan, I come across a lot of victims. So, I can tell you out of experience that most victims don’t even know what these centres are," she states.

Ranjana Kumari, women’s rights activist and Director of the Centre for Social Research, critiques the effectiveness of the OSCs. Kumari highlights several critical shortcomings: "Due to lack of training, capacity, awareness, access, and availability, many of these centres fail to deliver the promised support. It is essential to enhance the capabilities of the OSC’s officials. Particularly in rural areas, these centres should be prioritised and taken seriously by local police stations or district magistrate’s offices. Unfortunately, this is not currently the case, leading to huge difficulties for women in distress as they don’t get the service that these centres intend to provide them."

Mismanagement of Funds for Women's Safety

According to the 350th report of the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Women and Child Development which was tabled in the Parliament, the government of India under the Nirbhaya Fund had allocated a total of 867.74 crores for the OSC scheme since 2015 and about 720.98 crores were released to states. However, only 274.53 crores were utilised by the states. 

Dr Vageshwari Deswal, a noted feminist and activist, who serves as a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, provides critical insights into the allocation and utilisation of the Nirbhaya Fund. Established following the brutal gangrape and murder of Nirbhaya, the fund was intended as a financial reservoir to enhance women's safety and facilitate victim compensation. Dr. Deswal details the fund's journey: "The Nirbhaya fund was started and a corpus of about 1000 crore rupees was set up, and out of that, the funds went to the central victim compensation schemes and from thereon it was dispersed to various states. In 2015 all this happened"

Dr Deswal adds, "In 2017, when the states were asked what they were doing with the money, it was unfortunately realised that not a single penny was spent out of the Nirbhaya fund". This revelation prompted a directive for states to ensure the proper allocation of funds to victims. 

While the concept of One Stop Centres (OSCs) is commendable, the reality of their operation presents significant challenges. The centres, which are designed to provide comprehensive crisis management for women, suffer from fundamental operational deficiencies. They are often understaffed and plagued by financial constraints. The situation is further exacerbated by the quality of legal support available through these centres. 

"More often than not, the lawyers who have a flourishing career refuse to take up these legal aid cases unless there is a high profile case or there is a lot of media attention involved," states Dr Deswal. As a result, it is usually the less experienced lawyers who are empaneled to provide legal aid, which compromises the quality of support provided to the victims.

Moreover, the counselling services at the One Stop Centres face similar issues, with seasoned professionals deterred by the low compensation offered by the state compared to private practice. Despite efforts to integrate these centres with hospitals, women's cells, and police stations, the lack of available personnel often undermines their effectiveness. “The state of the associated shelter homes further discourages victims from seeking refuge, as they find the conditions there barely an improvement over their abusive environments. This leads many to return to the very places where they face victimisation. This is extremely serious and the government needs to act,” asserts Dr Deswal. 

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