What is One stop centre (OSC) scheme?
The One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme replaced The Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) provides a range of services in an integrated manner under one roof including medical aid, police facilitation, legal counselling, psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence.
Till date, 595 OSCs have started operations out of 728 OSCs that have been sanctioned. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of 75 operational centres, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 51 and Bihar with 38 centres respectively.
Why in News?
The Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani in a written reply to Lok Sabha on Friday 22nd November 2019, provided the above numbers. In her written reply she also stated that domestic violence incidents against women increased by 33% in 2 years, with the highest number of registered cases of domestic violence against women,241 reported in Madhya Pradesh in 2017, followed by Kerela with 177 and Bihar with 88 cases 2017.