Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that certain states were not doing enough for the safety of women in the country. The minister said this in the context of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.

He was delivering the inaugural address at the Manorama News Conclave 2024, themed 'Changemakers', at O by Tamara in Thiruvananthapuram. Singh called the incident "heart-wrenching, tragic and disgraceful".

He lamented that a lot remained to be done for women's safety despite the changes in law brought about in the past 10 years. "Our government has adopted strict attitudes against crimes against women but many states are not taking sincere efforts in this direction," he said. "We have amended laws to provide capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape. This should be implemented with strictness," the minister said.

He said the welfare of women and their safety was top priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. "We have taken many steps to ensure this," the he said.

As example he cited the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, that criminalised the practice of triple talaq. "Triple talaq was a big issue for our Muslim sisters and daughters. Ending a sacred institution like marriage by simply saying talaq three times could not be justified in any way. And this was practised unabated and unchallenged. Our government showed the will and determination to end this evil practice and this had come as a big relief to Muslim women," the minister said.

Fundamentally, Singh said that the Modi regime worked as the changemaker in women's empowerment. "There was a time when the gender ratio in the country was deteriorating rapidly. And in a state like Haryana, it was reaching a dangerous level," he said.

This was what prompted Modi to initiate the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. This turned a new leaf for Haryana, he said. "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign helped in improving the gender ratio as well as ensured women empowerment," he said.

Singh described the Modi government's development paradigm as not just women's development but also "women-led development". He referred to the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', which he called "historic" and said would pave the way for 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.

The defence minister also said the share of women was increasing in the armed forces of the country, too. "When I was the minister of home affairs, I issued an advisory to all the states to fill up one-third vacancies with women in all the security forces. Today, the participation of women has increased in all police forces and the paramilitary forces," he said.

He claimed that many obstacles to the entry of women into the armed forces had been removed. "In all three wings of the armed forces, we have ensured increased participation of women," the minister said. He said the National Defence Academy had thrown its doors open to women for the first time ever.

"And you will be surprised to know that now hundreds of thousands of young girls participate in the NDA entrance exam from all over the country," he said.

He said 'permanent commission' (PC) had also been provided for women. From this year, PC is being granted to Women Officers in 12 Arms & Services, in addition to the Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service) where they are commissioned.

"Army has decided that eligible and meritorious women officers will be given a permanent commission," he said and added: "And what can be a better example of women's empowerment than this?"