Early, a panic button on mobile phones to help women at risk

Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi has made mobile phone companies on board to provide a panic button on the phone before March to send alerts to the police in an emergency.

The regulations in this regard will be issued by the department of telecommunications soon, Gandhi said.

The plan has been finalized with the consensus of the mobile manufacturers to help solve the security problems of women as the new and improved phone can install the feature.

"It took a year to complete this initiative. We held several meetings with mobile phone companies and have finally agreed to provide panic buttons on mobile phones," he said. "If a woman feels she is in trouble, all you have to do is press the button and immediately send a message to the police," he said.

Gandhi said that while new devices come with built-in buttons, customers will be able to update their phones in dedicated centers. "We have asked companies to build at least 10,000 schools throughout the country to facilitate mobile phone users in updating their phones and adding the button," he said.

Other measures taken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development include the launch of a number of national helpline will be common throughout the country to assist women at risk women. The operations of the helpline will be integrated with one-stop centers that provide police, medical assistance and legal advice to women.

The Government has prepared a plan of special police volunteers in every village to involve young educated community policing. They will be trained to function as a bridge between the police and the women of the community, and help in ensuring the protection of women against violence of all kinds.