About the Commission:
- It is a statutory body setup in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
- The Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI) recommended the setting up of a National Commission for women for surveillance functions, redressal of grievances and to accelerate the socio-economic development of women.
- Mandate: To review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate redressal of grievances and advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.
- works on complaints referred to it and can also act suo-moto in several cases to provide speedy justice.
- present to the Central Government, annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguard,
- review, from time to time, the exiting provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women and recommend amendments thereto
- fund litigation involving issues affecting a large body of women,
- inspect or cause to inspected place of custody where women are kept as prisoners or otherwise and take up with the concerned authorities for remedial action, if found necessary,
- Work on any other matter which may be referred to it by Central Government.
Power of the Commission:
The Commission shall, while investigating any matter, have all the powers of a civil court trying a suit and, in particular in respect of the following matters, namely :-
- summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath,
- requiring the discovery and production of any document,
- receiving evidence on affidavits,
- requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office,
- issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents, and
- any other matter which may be prescribed.
Members: The Commission shall consist of :-
- A Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, to be nominated by the Central Government.
- 5 Members to be nominated by the Central Government.
- Provided that at least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively;
- A Member-Secretary to be nominated by the Central Government who shall be :-
- an expert in the field of management, organisational structure or sociological movement, or
- an officer who is a member of a civil service of the Union or of an all-India service or holds a civil post under the Union with appropriate experience.
Mandate of Governments:
- The Central Government shall cause all the reports referred to be laid before each House of Parliament along with memorandum explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations relating to the Union and the reasons for the non-acceptance, if any, of any such recommendations.
- Where any such report or any part thereof relates to any matter with which any State Government is concerned, the Commission shall forward an copy of such report or part to such State Government who shall cause it to be laid before the Legislature of the State along with a memorandum explaining the action taken or proposed to be taken on the recommendations relating to the State and the reasons for the non-acceptance,if any, of any such recommendations.
