Nirbhaya Fund

The Nirbhaya Fund is a dedicated financing mechanism for initiatives that improve the safety and security of women in India. Announced in the Union Budget 2013-14, it supports government projects for prevention of violence, emergency assistance, protection, relief and rehabilitation.

Purpose and scope

The Fund enables Union ministries, states and Union territories to undertake women-safety interventions requiring coordinated or additional financial support.

• It finances projects having a direct impact on women's safety and security, rather than functioning as a single welfare scheme.
• It supports physical infrastructure, service delivery, capacity building and appropriate technology-based solutions.
• Its initial government contribution was Rs 1,000 crore, and it was constituted as a non-lapsable corpus.

Institutional mechanism

The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance administers the Fund, while the Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry for examining proposals.

• An Empowered Committee, chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, appraises and recommends proposals and reviews implementation.
• Approved schemes are implemented by the concerned Union ministries, departments, states or Union territories, which remain responsible for execution and monitoring.

Initiatives supported

Funding addresses different stages of women's safety, from prevention and rapid response to institutional support for survivors.

• Major supported interventions include One Stop Centres and the Women Helpline for women affected by violence.
• The Fund has also supported the Emergency Response Support System and Safe City projects for coordinated policing, surveillance and emergency assistance.
• Thus, the Fund bridges financing and coordination gaps across multiple agencies without replacing their implementation responsibilities.