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Registry of sex offenders: 4.4 lakh names in all, 3000 identified in Delhi since 1995

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Registry of sex offenders: 4.4 lakh names in all, 3000 identified in Delhi since 1995

India became the ninth country in world to maintain a dedicated database on sexual offenders with the Centre on Thursday rolling out a National Registry of Sexual Offenders (NRSO), a massive database of convicted sexual offenders from across the nation.

Other countries to maintain a database of sexual offenders are USA, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago. Except for US, the date of convicted sex offenders is purely for the consumption of the law enforcement authorities. US is the only country to keep its database in public domain even as the demand to review the policy grows.

India too has said that the database will remain accessible to law enforcement agencies only.

The database will have personal details, including residential address, fingerprints, photo-identification, Aadhaar numbers, DNA sample and PAN number of not only convicted criminals but also of those accused of the crime or against whom an FIR is registered.

However, the details of arrested and chargesheeted offenders can be accessed only by officers with the requisite clearance, The Indian Express reported.

The government is also mulling over introducing the list of juvenile offenders, the newspaper reported. But a final decision on the same will be taken at a later time.

The decision to set up the database was taken in April following nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault on minors, including the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in J&K’s Kathua.

The Union Cabinet had subsequently promulgated the Criminal Law Ordinance, 2018, for the death penalty to be handed out to those convicted of raping children below 12 years.

With the launch of this database, the Government hopes to convey the message ahead of elections next year that the safety of women and children is its top priority. Recently, it set up a National Mission for the Safety of Women, headed by the Union Cabinet Secretary, to undertake specified actions, including setting up Special Fast Track Courts, strengthening forensic facilities, appointing additional public prosecutors, and providing appropriate medical and rehabilitation facilities to victims.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will be tasked to maintain the database and profile of sexual offenders over the past fifteen years, with details from jails across the country.

According to NCRB, there has been a three per cent increase in crimes against women and a 12 per cent rise in rapes in 2016, as compared to 2015. As many as 38,947 rape cases were registered in 2016, up from 34,651 in 2015. Overall, cases of crimes against women rose from 3,29,243 in 2015 to 3,38,954 in 2016, according to NCRB.

India has one-fifth of the world’s child population and unfortunately, also has the largest number of child sexual abuse cases registered in the world. According to government figures released in December 2017, a child is sexually abused every 15 minutes.

Following the US style, the database classifies offenders based on the ‘severity of threat’ they pose to the society. According to The Hindu, the data will be stored for 15 years in the case of those who pose a low danger, 25 years for those posing “moderate danger” and lifetime for “habitual offenders, violent criminals, convicts in gangrape and custodial rapes.”

Move gets support from WCD ministry, child and women rights’ groups

There have been instances in the past where convicted sexual offenders have committed the crime multiple times only because there was no central registry maintaining records.

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has been a long-time advocate of such a register. When the 38-year-old Sunil Rastogi was arrested earlier this year for raping and sexually assaulting minors, he confessed to the cops that he had assaulted around 500 girls in the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Rastogi was arrested, jailed and then released only to repeat this crime. Union minister Maneka Gandhi lamented that if an SOR was in place, many of Rastogi’s crime could have been prevented, said report on news portal Firstpost.

Gandhi pointed out that the listing of names of sexual offenders and placing it in the public domain would definitely act as a deterrent.

Sunita Krishna, who runs the NGO Prajwala which claims it has rescued and rehabilitated more than 10,000 rape victims, told Firstpost that she suppports the move. She believes only “the public naming and shaming of offenders” will stop this sharp increase in rape.

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi had also urged the government to push for a registry of sexual offenders, propagating the ‘name and shame’ approach in dealing with sexual predators.  “Name and shame them. Sexual offenders should not be accepted as employees anywhere,” he had said in the past.

Experts point out flaws in system, say move will discourage victims from reporting crime

“Government statistics (in the US) indicate that most sexual abuse of children is committed by family members or trusted authority figures, and by someone who has not previously been convicted of a sex offence. In India, too, children are often sexually abused by people known to them and regarded as authority figures. The government must ensure implementation of existing measures…including enforcement of the POCSO Act,” Jayshree Bajoria, author of Human Rights Watch report documenting barriers to justice for sexual assault survivors in India, told PTI.

Activists in India say that the talk of these lists is a knee-jerk reaction to cases such as the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, both of which involved minor victims, and is intended to satisfy the public rage against sexual abuse by strangers.

“If it is a family member, a person known to the family of the victim, which is true in most cases in India, will this work? I have my doubts. The registry operates most aggressively in the US. However, there is very little evidence in that country to show that it has helped to prevent sexual assaults against children,” said Supreme Court advocate KV Dhananjay.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Apar Gupta, a lawyer who works on privacy issues, even opined that there is no empirical evidence to support that the law actually helped bring down crime in countries where it has been existence for over a decade.

“Many international studies have shown that instead of preventing repeat offences, maintaining such a database has an adverse affect as person accused of sex crime does not have any incentive to reform. His identity as a rapist is established for life even after he has completed his sentence,” he said.

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Rahul Gandhi urges Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to enact Rohith Vemula Act to end caste-based discrimination

“There was plenty of food with us… but we were to sleep without food; that was because we could get no water, and we could get no water because we were untouchables,” Gandhi quoted Ambedkar.

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In a significant move aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination within the education system, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader, has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah advocating for the implementation of the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’. This proposed legislation aims to ensure that no student in Karnataka faces discrimination due to their caste.

In his letter dated April 16, Gandhi reflected on the struggles and indignities faced by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a key figure in India’s fight against caste discrimination. He recounted a powerful incident described by Ambedkar from his childhood, highlighting the harsh realities of being labelled an “untouchable” and the systemic barriers that prevented him from accessing basic necessities and an equal education.

“There was plenty of food with us… but we were to sleep without food; that was because we could get no water, and we could get no water because we were untouchables,” Gandhi quoted Ambedkar.

Gandhi emphasised that despite the progress made, millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC communities continue to experience unjust discrimination within the educational framework. “It is a shame that even today, our educational system perpetuates such brutal discrimination,” he declared.

The Congress leader further expressed his grievances regarding the tragic losses of young lives due to caste-based discrimination, citing the suicides of students like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi, and Darshan Solanki as evidence of the urgent need for legislative action. “Such horrific incidents cannot be tolerated at any cost. It is time to end this cycle of injustice,” he stated.

Gandhi shared his thoughts on the social media platform X, revealing insights from recent discussions he had with students and teachers from underprivileged backgrounds in Parliament, who recounted their ongoing experiences of discrimination in higher education. He reaffirmed Ambedkar’s belief that education is a vital tool for empowerment and breaking the caste system, a principle he feels remains unfulfilled.

Expressing the need for immediate action, Gandhi urged the Karnataka government to prioritise the enactment of the Rohith Vemula Act, ensuring that no child in India endures the discrimination and hardships experienced by Ambedkar, Vemula, and countless others.

Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student, tragically took his life in 2016 due to the pressures of caste-based discrimination, igniting a national conversation about the urgent need for reform within educational institutions to protect vulnerable student populations. The push for the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ has gained momentum among Dalit and student groups seeking systemic changes to safeguard against discrimination in education.

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Opposition slams Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar after he criticises Supreme Court’s order on President

TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee accused Dhankhar of repeatedly disrespecting the judiciary.

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Opposition leaders on Thursday fiercely criticised Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for his recent statements on the judiciary, accusing him of undermining its authority and veering close to contempt.

Leaders from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and notable legal figures condemned Dhankhar’s remarks as disrespectful to constitutional principles.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala emphasised the supremacy of the Constitution, stating, “In our democracy, no office—whether President, Prime Minister, or Governor—stands above constitutional accountability.”

He praised the Supreme Court’s April 8 ruling, which set a three-month deadline for the President to act on bills reserved by governors, calling it a bold and necessary check on high offices.

TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee accused Dhankhar of repeatedly disrespecting the judiciary. “His comments on Supreme Court judges are unacceptable and nearly contemptuous. As a constitutional figure, he must respect other institutions,” Banerjee asserted.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva labelled Dhankhar’s remarks as “unacceptable,” stressing that no one, regardless of their position, can delay legislative bills indefinitely. “The rule of law must prevail over institutional overreach,” Siva said.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal defended Article 142, which grants the Supreme Court authority to issue orders for “complete justice.” He questioned, “This power is enshrined in the Constitution to ensure justice. Who is obstructing the President’s authority?”

Dhankhar’s controversial remarks were made during an address to Rajya Sabha interns on April 17, where he called Article 142 a “constant threat to democratic forces” and challenged the judiciary’s right to impose deadlines on the President. He also questioned why judges require judicial approval for FIRs, noting that only the President and Governors enjoy constitutional immunity from prosecution.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended Dhankhar, accusing the opposition of hypocrisy. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla retorted, “The opposition, which ignores parliamentary laws, mocks the Vice President, and shields rioters for votes, has no moral ground to lecture on constitutional propriety.”

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FASTag won’t be discontinued from May 1: Govt clears rumours on new tolling technology

While new technological approaches are under consideration, MoRTH clarified that the ongoing pilot tests featuring Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at selected toll plazas are meant to enhance, not replace, FASTag functionalities.

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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has dismissed rampant rumours regarding the discontinuation of the FASTag system effective May 1, 2025. In an official statement released on Friday, the ministry reiterated that it has no intention of phasing out FASTag or replacing it with a satellite-based tolling system in the immediate future.

Authorities cautioned the public against believing misleading reports and viral messages that suggest FASTag will be eliminated, emphasising that the system remains active and mandatory for toll payments across the nation.

While new technological approaches are under consideration, MoRTH clarified that the ongoing pilot tests featuring Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems at selected toll plazas are meant to enhance, not replace, FASTag functionalities.

Understanding the hybrid tolling model

The proposed hybrid model seeks to combine the existing Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)-based FASTag with ANPR technology. This innovative approach aims to facilitate barrier-less toll collection; sophisticated high-resolution cameras will capture vehicle number plates and link them with FASTag accounts for a more efficient toll payment process.

The ministry is currently assessing the hybrid system’s potential to:

  • Decrease congestion at toll plazas
  • Accelerate vehicle flow
  • Provide motorists with a smoother, uninterrupted tolling experience

However, MoRTH has confirmed that the hybrid model is still in the pilot phase and no final decision regarding its nationwide implementation has been established.

Although FASTag will not be replaced, the ministry stressed the importance of compliance under the hybrid system. Vehicle owners who neglect toll payment procedures may receive electronic notices, face suspension of their FASTag accounts, or incur penalties as per the VAHAN vehicle registration database.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways strongly urged motorists to disregard false information regarding the discontinuation of FASTag. Official updates on any changes to the tolling system will be communicated through trusted channels. The public is encouraged to stay informed by visiting the official websites at www.nhai.gov.in and morth.nic.in.

Fact Check: Claim: A satellite-based tolling system will replace FASTag starting May 1, 2025. Fact: This claim has been labelled false, as MoRTH has confirmed that FASTag will remain in use beyond the specified date.

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