Question Discussion & Solution

Option 1 is NOT correct.

Key Points

The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956:

• It extends to the whole of India. So, statement 1 is NOT correct.
• In this Act:
  • ​“Brothel” includes any house, room, or place or any portion of any house, room, or place, which is used for purposes [of sexual exploitation or abuse] for the gain of another person or for the mutual gain of two or more prostitutes.
  • “Child” means a person who has not completed the age of sixteen years. So, statement 2 is correct.
  • “Major” means a person who has completed the age of eighteen years. So, statement 3 is correct.
  • “Public Place” means any place intended for use by, or accessible to, the public and includes any public conveyance. So, statement 4 is correct.

The correct answer is Section 354.

• IPC Section 354: Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty.

Key Points

• Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with impris­onment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Additional Information

• Rape (Section 376, 376A, 376B, 376C, 376D)
• Kidnapping (Sec. 359, 360 366)
• Assault to outrage modesty (Sec.354, 354B)
• Domestic violence (Sec. 498A)
• Sexual harassment (Sec. 354A)

The correct answer is 20th September 1994.

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act was enacted on 20th September 1994.

Key Points

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994:
  • An Act to provide for the prohibition of sex selection, before or after conception, and for the regulation of prenatal diagnostic techniques for the purposes of detecting genetic abnormalities or metabolic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities or certain congenital malformations or sex-linked disorders and for the prevention of their misuse for sex determination leading to female foeticide; and, for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. ​

Additional Information

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to stop female foeticides and arrest the declining sex ratio in India.
  • The act banned prenatal sex determination.
  • Every genetic counselling centre, genetic laboratory or genetic clinic engaged in counselling or conducting pre-natal diagnostics techniques, like in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with the potential of sex selection (Preimplantation genetic diagnosis) before and after conception comes under the preview of the PCPNDT Act and are banned.

The correct answer is Punishment shall not be less than seven years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

• Under Section 370, whoever commits the offence of trafficking shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

​ Important Points

•  Section 370 -
  • ​Trafficking means whoever, for the purpose of exploitation, a. recruits b. transports c.harbours, d.transfers, or e. receives, a person or persons, by-
    • ​using threats,
    • using force, or any other form of coercion,
    • by abduction,
    • by practising fraud, or deception,
    • by abuse of power,
    • by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, harboured, transported, transferred, or received, commits the offence of trafficking. 
• The expression "exploitation" shall include any act of physical exploitation or any form of sexual exploitation or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the forced removal of organs.
• The consent of the victim is immaterial in the determination of the offence of trafficking.

The correct answer is Civil Court.

Key Points 

• Sexual harassment at a workplace is considered a violation of women's right to equality, life, and liberty.
• It creates an insecure and hostile work environment, which discourages women's participation in work, thereby adversely affecting their social and economic empowerment and the goal of inclusive growth.
• With this idea, the legislature formulated the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
• 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace', Civil court has been empowered to collect evidence to complaints committees set up under this Act.
• The Complaints Committees have the powers of civil courts for gathering evidence.

Additional Information 

• Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
  • The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from sexual harassment at their place of work.
  • It was passed by the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) on 3 September 2012.
  • It was passed by the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) on 26 February 2013.
  • The Bill got the assent of the President on 23 April 2013.
  • The Act came into force on 9 December 2013.
  • This statute superseded the Vishaka Guidelines for Prevention Of Sexual Harassment (POSH) introduced by the Supreme Court (SC) of India.
  • It was reported by the International Labour Organization that very few Indian employers were compliant with this statute.