New Delhi: The Union government has notified the SC that it plans to install artificial intelligence-based facial recognition systems at seven major railway stations, including Mumbai CST and New Delhi, to curb crime against women. The number of sex offenders recorded in the National Database of Sex Offenders (NDSO) has exceeded the 20 lark mark, further told the court.In response to serious concerns raised by the Supreme Court's Women Bar Association regarding the increase in crimes against women through PIL, the Ministry of Interior (MHA) detailed the measures being taken to address the issue, saying in its affidavit that the safe urban project is being implemented in eight cities — by local police and municipal businesses.The project focuses on improving safety infrastructure by using drones to monitor high-risk areas with face recognition or automatic license plate recognition, along with smart lighting systems, the center says. The bench, led by Judge Surya Kant, is scheduled to hear the PIL on Monday.The ministry said, “The Integrated Emergency Response Management System (IERMS) operates at 499 of 983 major railway stations, ensuring 24/7 security for female passengers. Furthermore, the Konkan Railway Network plans to expand 67 stations from the installation of 740 CCTV cameras and use the seven main measurement systems to expand using a meat certification system based on AL.According to the MHA, NDSO data includes names, addresses, photos and fingerprint details of individuals involved in sexual offences such as rape, gang rape, Eve teasing, stalking and child abuse. As of the date, there is a Rs 20.28 lakh entry available to all police stations and law enforcement agencies in the country through the Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS).However, the Women Bar Association, represented by senior advocate Maharakshmi Pavani, said additional measures are needed as the National Crime Records Bureau statistics show a surge in crimes of 58.8 per 58.8 people in 2022 in 2018, so it is necessary to take additional measures.In a rebuttal to the Centre affidavit, Pavani said, “In 2022 there was a criminal case of Rs 236,600,000 against a woman whose trial was pending, of which only 1.5 lakh was decided in 2022, with only 38,136 convictions.”The association states, “The introduction of technology-based projects such as Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS), Crime Multi-Agency Centre (CR-MAC), NDSO, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offenders (ITSO), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), and Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) in India cannot increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system.”
