"Supreme Court Takes Up Delhi Public Safety Failures"
Suo motu cognisance
a court taking up a matter on its own, without anyone filing a petition.
Routine Activity Theory
crime theory stating it needs a motivated offender, a vulnerable target and no guardian present.
In 2012, a young woman was gang-raped in Delhi. This case, known as the Nirbhaya case, caused protests across the country. It forced the government to face its failure to protect women in public spaces. The government created the Justice J S Verma Committee. This Committee produced one of the most important criminal justice reports in independent India. The Committee said that rape is not just a crime against the body. It is an attack on dignity and equality. It recommended police reforms, gender-sensitive investigation, victim support systems and institutional accountability. It also recommended tougher criminal laws. Many of its ideas became law through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013. This Act created new offences such as stalking and voyeurism. It also widened the legal definition of rape.
Since then, India has added more layers of protection. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 created special courts. It also created child-friendly procedures for crimes against minors. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code. It now governs criminal offences. Its Section 70(2) fixes a minimum sentence of 20 years for gangrape. This sentence can be extended to life. Yet law and order remains a State subject under Entry 1 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. This means actual policing, patrolling and street lighting depend on state governments. They do not depend only on central legislation. The Supreme Court's 2006 ruling in Prakash Singh v Union of India directed states to insulate police from political control. It also directed states to fix officer tenures. But most states, including Delhi, have not fully complied even today.
Sexual violence continues to happen despite strong laws. This points to a gap between legislation and implementation. Criminology offers a useful way to understand this. Routine Activity Theory states that a crime becomes likely when a motivated offender, a vulnerable target and an absence of guardianship come together at the same time. Poor street lighting, broken CCTV cameras, unverified transport and thin police patrols do not create offenders. But they remove the guardianship that could stop a crime from happening. Urban planners respond to this through Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). This approach improves lighting, visibility and surveillance. …
Which subject in the Constitution of India places 'Police' and 'Public order' primarily under the jurisdiction of the states?
Which of the following statements about the Justice J S Verma Committee is/are correct?
1.It was constituted after the 2012 Delhi gangrape case.
2.It recommended amendments to criminal law relating to sexual offences.
3.Its recommendations led directly to the enactment of the POCSO Act, 2012.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
The Supreme Court's directives in Prakash Singh v Union of India (2006) primarily sought to:
Consider the following statements regarding the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023:
1.It replaced the Indian Penal Code from a date in 2024.
2.Section 70(2) of the BNS prescribes a minimum punishment of 20 years for gangrape.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match the following criminological/urban-design concepts with their core idea:
List-I
A.Routine Activity Theory
B.Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
C.Classical Theory of Penology
List-II
1.Certainty of punishment deters crime more than its severity
2.Crime needs a motivated offender, a target and absence of guardianship
3.Urban design and lighting reduce crime opportunities
Select the correct code:
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