From Silence to Security: How Legal Reforms Under Modi Government Redefined Women's Safety

In 2012, the brutal Nirbhaya incident shocked the conscience of the nation. It also exposed the deep fissures in India's legal and administrative framework for women's safety. Inadequate policing, slow judicial response, outdated laws, and near-total absence of survivor support systems painted a bleak picture.

- SAVITRI THAKUR

By 2014, India stood at a crossroads. Public outrage was loud, but the legal machinery remained sluggish. Fast Track Courts were a concept, not a reality. There were no One Stop solutions and centres, no national women's helplines, no forensic support to fast-track investigation, and no dedicated funds to support such measures. Women's issues were viewed as social concerns-not national priorities.

The Modi Era: From Protection to Structural Empowerment

Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India during last 11 years of governance has undertaken a paradigm shift-from fragmented response to a mission-mode approach anchored in legal reform, institutional delivery, and dignity for every woman.

Legal Safety as a National Commitment

The government began by establishing Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country, and today 745 such courts are operational, including 404 that deal exclusively with cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. In contrast to 2014 when One Stop Centres were non-existent, more than 820 districts now have fully functional OSCs providing legal assistance, police intervention, shelter, and counselling under one roof to any distressed women affected by violence.