Question Discussion & Solution

• The term Domestic Violence was clearly defined for the first time in India in 2005 with the enactment of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
• Until then domestic violence was seen only in terms of physical between spouses.
• But, this act has given a much wider explanation of this term.
•  As per section 3, domestic violence includes: 
  • Physical abuse/torture.
  • Mental abuses.
  • Verbal abuses.
  • Sexual abuses.
  • Economical abuses.

The correct answer is Adult franchise.

Key Points 

• Adult Franchise means all adult citizens of the country should have the right to vote without any discrimination of class, caste, religion, or gender.
• Article 326 defines a universal adult franchise as the basis for elections to all levels of the elected government.
• In a democracy, a universal adult franchise is important, as it is based on the idea of equality.

Additional Information

• Child Marriage:
  • It is defined as a marriage of a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married.
  • Child marriage affects both girls and boys, but it affects girls disproportionately, especially in South Asia.
• Dowry system:
  • It refers to the durable goods, cash, and real or movable property that the bride's family gives to the bridegroom, his parents, and his relatives as a condition of the marriage.
• Untouchability:
  • It is the practice of ostracising a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate.
  • The term is most commonly associated with the treatment of the Dalit communities in the Indian subcontinent who were considered "polluting".

The correct answer is Domestic violence.

• It is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to protect women from domestic violence.
• It was brought into force by the Indian government on 26 October 2006.
• The Act provides for the first time in Indian law a definition of domestic violence, with this definition being broad and including not only physical violence, but also other forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse.
• It is a civil law meant primarily for protection orders and not meant to be enforced criminally.
• In October 2016, the Supreme Court has made a verdict to delete the words “adult male” before the word ‘person’ in Section 2(q) of the Act making it gender-neutral.

Important Points

• Salient features of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005:
  • Includes physical and mental ill-treatment.
  • Primarily meant for the protection of wife or female live-in partners.
  • Law also extends to sisters, widows, or mothers.
  • Harassment in the form of dowry demands also included in this law.
  • Gives women the right to secure housing.
  • The court can also issue protection orders that prevent the abuser to harass the women by acts at her workplace.
  • The act proposes the appointment of protection officers and NGOs.
  • A breach of a protection order is a non-bailable offence. 

The correct answer is 12.

Key Points 

• The Ordinance amends the IPC, 1860 to increase the minimum punishment for rape of women from seven years to ten years.
• Rape and gang rape of girls below the age of 12 years will carry minimum imprisonment of twenty years and is extendable to life imprisonment or death.
• Rape of girls below the age of 16 years is punishable with imprisonment of twenty years or life imprisonment.

Additional Information 

• 376DB: Punishment for gang rape on women under twelve years of age.
  • Where a woman under twelve years of age is raped by one or more persons constituting a group or acting in furtherance of a common intention, each of those persons shall be deemed to have committed the offence of rape and shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and with fine, or with death.
  • Such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses and rehabilitation of the victim: 
    • Any fine imposed under this section shall be paid to the victim.

• POCSO Act, 2012 is a gender-neutral act and gives equitable protection to both girls and boys.
• The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age.
• The Act incorporates child-friendly procedures for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation as well as the trial of such offences covered under the act.
• People who traffic children for sexual purposes are also punishable under the provisions relating to abetment in the Act.
• Medical Examination of Child needs to be conducted within 24 hours.
• Recording the statement of the child at the residence of the child or at the place of his choice, preferably by a woman police officer.
• No child is to be detained in any police station in the night for any reason what so ever.
• Police officials are directed not to be in uniform while recording the statement of the child so victimized.