Panic Button becomes available to women with launch of ERSS and pan-India Emergency number 112 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi here today jointly launched the Women Safety initiative of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in 16 States/UTs and Mumbai city. People in these states and UTs can now call a single pan India number 112 for any emergency. In addition, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal were also launched. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh said launch of ERSS is a “milestone in women safety in the country.”

The 16 States/UTs where the ERSS has been launched today are Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, J&K.

Home Minister, welcoming the joint effort of Ministries of WCD and MHA in preparation and launch of these women safety initiatives, called on the States for effective implementation of these initiatives to make them a success. He cited various initiatives of MHA towards improving women safety after creation of Women Safety Division in MHA.

Highlighting the importance of ERSS, he said that very soon it will be implemented across the whole country. One can dial 112 or use Panic Button on their phones or 112 India Mobile App to connect to a single emergency services number 112 which will combine Police, Fire, Health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre in the State. He also congratulated the agencies and volunteers for their contribution in making it a successful campaign of enhancing the ecosystem of women safety in the country.

Union Home Minister also announced approval of Rs. 78.76 crore for a special project under the Nirbhaya Fund for strengthening DNA analysis capacities in the State Forensic Science Laboratories of four States of Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Madurai), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow and Agra), West Bengal (Kolkata) and Maharashtra ( Mumbai). He said that this effort will help in speedy investigation of rape cases.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Menaka Sanjay Gandhi appreciated the support of Home Ministry in preparing these women safety projects. She thanked Shri Rajnath Singh for sanctioning funds to strengthen six Forensic Science Laboratories for quick investigation in rape cases and sought provision of investigation kits at every police station in the country specially at the One Stop Centres. The WCD Minister highlighted the success of the flagship programme of the Government ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, which set the actual and initial pace for responding to violence against women from the womb stage itself.

In his address, the Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba said that these initiatives could prove to be a “game changer” if implanted effectively by the states. He further said that time-bound disposal of cases against women is the most important component in implementing these projects.

Secretary, WCD Shri Rakesh Srivastava enumerated the various critical initiatives of WCD Ministry to create an ecosystem of complete safety for women.

ERSS had already been successfully implemented in the States of Himachal of Pradesh and Nagaland.

The emergency response system can be triggered in the following manners:-

1. On the smart phones, the power button (which is dedicated panic button) when pressed three times quickly.
2. Dialing 112 from any phone.
3. In case of feature phones, long press of the touch key 5 or 9.
4. Using 112 India Mobile App which is available for free downloading.
5. For women and children, 112 India App provides a special SHOUT feature which alerts registered volunteers in the vicinity of victim for immediate assistance