India to use AI and drones to combat crimes against women – Home Ministry
New Delhi proposes to use artificial intelligence-based facial recognition systems, smart lighting systems, and drones to monitor high-risk areas to curb crime against women in the country, the Home Ministry told the Supreme Court on Monday.
The ministry was responding to a public interest litigation filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers' Association over the rise in crimes against women in the country, a Hindustan Times report said.
The home ministry said seven railway stations in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and others, will soon be equipped with AI systems, a Times of India report added.
Other measures such as automatic license plate recognition, smart lighting systems, and drones to monitor high risk areas will be put in place, the ministry added.
The ministry told the top court that the National Data Sharing and Exchange Platform contains sensitive information, including names, addresses, photographs, and fingerprint details of individuals involved in various sexual offenses such as rape, stalking, and child abuse, the Hindustan Times report added.
As of now, the database has 2.02 million entries that can be accessed by all police stations and law enforcement agencies across the country through the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System database. This is an initiative aimed at integrating the police, courts, prisons, forensic labs, and prosecution, with the help of technology, the ministry said.
The Supreme Court Women Lawyers' Association argued that further measures are necessary to combat crimes against women, as the existing steps outlined by the ministry are not making a "big difference," according to the Hindustan Times report.
Data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau showed an increase in crimes against women, from 5.8 million in 2018 to 6.6 million in 2022. Last week, a 20-year-old student who had repeatedly complained of sexual harassment by a senior teacher died from 90% burns after attempting self-immolation outside the principal’s office, according to reports.
