Emergency Response Support System
20, Feb 2019
Prelims level : Governance
Mains level : GS 1: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Top of Form
- The Union Home Minister and Minister for Women and Child Development jointly launched the Women Safety initiative of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in 16 States/UTs and Mumbai city.
About:
- People in these states and UTs can now call a single pan India number 112 for any emergency. In addition, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal were also launched. The 16 States/UTs where the ERSS has been launched today are Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, J&K.
- Very soon it will be implemented across the whole country. One can dial 112 or use Panic Button on their phones or 112 India Mobile App to connect to a single emergency services number 112 which will combine Police, Fire, Health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre in the State.
- Union Home Minister also announced approval of Rs. 78.76 crore for a special project under the Nirbhaya Fund for strengthening DNA analysis capacities in the State Forensic Science Laboratories of four States of Tamil Nadu (Chennai and Madurai), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow and Agra), West Bengal (Kolkata) and Maharashtra (Mumbai). He said that this effort will help in speedy investigation of rape cases.
- These initiatives could prove to be a “game changer” if implanted effectively by the states.
- ERSS had already been successfully implemented in the States of Himachal of Pradesh and Nagaland.
The emergency response system can be triggered in the following manners:
- On the smart phones, the power button (which is dedicated panic button) when pressed three times quickly.
Dialing 112 from any phone.
- In case of feature phones, long press of the touch key 5 or 9.
- Using 112 India Mobile App which is available for free downloading.
- For women and children, 112 India App provides a special SHOUT feature which alerts registered volunteers in the vicinity of victim for immediate assistance
