Policy Update
Madhuritha D
Background
The One Stop Centre, launched on April 1, 2015, is introduced by the Ministry of Women and Child Development through Sambal, a sub-scheme under Mission Shakti. According to the recommendations of the 12th Plan’s (2012-2017) Working Group on Women’s Agency and Empowerment and the Justice (Retd.) The Usha Mehra Commission’s report: one-stop centres were established on a pilot basis across the country. The scheme ensures access to services for women and girls facing physical, sexual, psychological, or economic abuse, irrespective of age, socio-economic or marital status, race, ethnicity, caste, or educational background.
Functioning
One-Stop Centres (OSCs) provide integrated services at a single stop to assist women and girls who are harassed and abused in various ways. It is a multi-faceted, victim-centric approach providing medical, psychological, legal assistance etc.
Source: Data from the One Stop Centre scheme document, Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Contact: OSC is primarily contacted through the universalised Women Helpline ‘181’, where all the calls will be registered in the ‘Shakti Dashboard’. The dashboard acts as a MIS platform for real-time monitoring of OSCs, managed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Survivors can also directly walk in the centres for support and assistance, and third parties can inform in the case of violence or abuse in the neighbourhood.
Each OSC is staffed by a multidisciplinary team which includes:
- Centre administration
- Case workers
- Police officer
- Legal personnel
- Medical personnel
- IT Staff
- Multipurpose workers
- Security guards
Funding: The scheme is financed by the Government of India through the Nirbhaya Fund, which was established in 2013 to support initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security of women across the country.
Shelter: Rescued women along with their girl children and boys till the age of 10 will be provided with a temporary shelter for 5 days at the centre. After which, they will be sent to Shakti Sadan homes providing them with employment opportunities, skill enhancement programmes, etc.
Location mandate: OSCs are suggested to be inside a medical facility or within 2 km of the major medical facility in the region or district.
Monitoring: The National Steering and Monitoring Committee is responsible for overseeing the functioning of all the OSCs. In assistance to the national-level committee, the state-level steering and monitoring committee is also established. Additionally, there are district-level monitoring committees to ensure proper functioning and assistance to women and girls at the grassroots level.
Performance
Since its inception in 2015, One Stop Centres (OSCs) have emerged as one of India’s most significant institutional mechanisms for supporting women affected by violence. The performance of OSCs demonstrates substantial expansion in both coverage and beneficiary outreach. The integration with police departments, hospitals, legal services authorities, and shelter homes has contributed to more timely intervention and victim-centered support.
| Financial Year | Women Benefited through OSCs so far (Lakhs) | Operational One-Stop Centres (OSCs) |
| 2019–20 | 2.40 | 623 |
| 2020–21 | 3.05 | 699 |
| 2021–22 | 4.93 | 704 |
| 2022–23 | 6.67 | 733 |
| 2023–24 | 8.82 | 769 |
| 2024–25 | 10.53 | 802 |
Source: Ministry of Women and Child Development Annual Reports (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).
Beginning with nearly 55 operational centres in the financial year 2016-17 (Annual report of 2016-17, Ministry of women and child development) to 802 operational centres in the financial year 2024-25 marks an exponential growth of the scheme and continued attention given. During the same period, the number of women assisted increased from 2.40 lakh in 2019–20 to 10.53 lakh in 2024–25, indicating a more than fourfold increase in service utilization. The steady increase in beneficiaries suggests improved awareness, enhanced accessibility, and strengthened institutional capacity. The inclusion of women’s helpline numbers provided much leverage to those victims of harassment of various forms. This enabled them to reach out for help even without exposing themselves.
It is notable that a total of 1025 One Stop Centres OSCs have been approved while 865 are (OSCs) operational (PIB, 2026). The number of OSCs in each district also varies according to the geographical area and the crime rate against women in the region. So far, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of OSCs at 96 (Times of India, 2026). Additionally, Women Helpline 181 integrated with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)-112, a pan-India, toll-free emergency helpline number, across 35 States/UTs. Overall, the scheme has achieved commendable results in providing integrated services to the survivors.
Impact
The One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme has enhanced the delivery of integrated support services for women experiencing violence by ensuring timely access to medical care, legal assistance, counselling, police facilitation, and temporary shelter. The scheme has encouraged increased reporting of gender-based violence by reducing institutional barriers and providing a survivor-centred approach in support and assistance. With its expansion across districts, the scheme has benefited millions of women, contributing to improved safety, increased confidence in public institutions, and a more coordinated response to violence against women.
Emerging Issues
Even with a rise in reported cases and the expansion of one-stop centers across districts, significant challenges remain in the implementation of the scheme, affecting service delivery and timely support to survivors.
- Staff shortage: Many centres operate with either partial or no dedicated staff. Often, hospital‑based OSCs depend on existing hospital personnel rather than full‑time OSC teams, leading to overwork.
- Limited Awareness: Many women, especially in rural or marginalised communities, are simply unaware that OSCs exist or what services they offer, so they either approach informal channels or get no help at all. Even where OSCs are present, weak publicity and awareness campaigns are often sporadic rather than sustained.
- Lack of Interdepartmental coordination: OSCs are meant to integrate police, health, legal, and social‑welfare departments, but in practice inter‑office coordination is often weak, ad hoc, or siloed. Police stations may not promptly transfer cases, hospitals may not follow standard operating procedures, and legal‑aid cells may not track cases, leaving survivors to navigate multiple bureaucracies on their own, as there is no personnel available at the centre due to gaps in interdepartmental coordination.
- Social constraints: Deep‑rooted stigma around reporting violence, especially domestic abuse or sexual assault, makes women reluctant to approach OSCs even when centres are available and functional. Family pressure, fear of social ostracism, and concerns about economic dependency often push survivors to withdraw complaints, compromise, or abandon the process altogether. Moreover, women in most suppressed communities are often ignored and kept out of these institutional arrangements.
Way Forward
- Enhanced interdepartmental coordination: The absence of personnel in each OSC shall be addressed and reviewed by the steering and monitoring committee. The committees shall coordinate with the centre administrator to address the gaps and needs in their centres. This ensures the presence of specialised professionals at the centres all the time.
- Awareness and outreach: Targeted awareness through local media, schools, hospitals, and bus stops ensures outreach to the most vulnerable. Television advertisements remain powerful as they access every household. These initiatives should disseminate information on OSC services, legal rights, and support systems to encourage reporting and early intervention for survivors.
- Allotment of proper location: Even though land allocation and infrastructure norms are clearly defined, the location of some OSCs remains compromised. For approved but non-operational OSCs, locating centres within major district government hospitals can improve accessibility, ensure feasible travel for survivors, and simultaneously increase awareness.
References
Ministry of Women and Child Development. (2016). One Stop Centre Scheme Implementation Guidelines for State governments / UT administrations.
https://www.spniwcd.wcd.gov.in/uploads/pdf/1710073241_Dz6KvaLVn9.pdf
Ali, N., & Ali, N. (2026, January 7). A comparative study of one-stop centres (OSCs) in Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR).
https://www.cppr.in/reports-and-papers/a-comparative-study-of-one-stop-centres-oscs-in-kerala-telangana-and-andhra-pradesh
Ministry of Women and Child Development. (n.d.). Annual reports.
https://wcd.gov.in/documents/annual-report
About the Contributor
Madhuritha D is a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Political Science at Madras Christian College, Chennai. Her internships across think tanks and research organisations involved contributing to strategic reports and policy research. Her academic interests include gender, international relations, and policy analysis.
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my gratitude to IMPRI for this opportunity. I also extend my sincere thanks to Neha Pal and Ann Maria Cyriac for their constructive reviews and editorial support.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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