New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Friday wrote to Digvijaya Singh, Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, calling for reforms to bring about autonomy, credibility and effectiveness to the National Commission for Women.

Dev, who is also a member of the panel, shared a copy of her letter on X, and alleged that the Commission was "cherry picking" cases in opposition ruled states.

"While I sympathize with activists battling for reform of NCW, without proper checks their blatantly partisan actions have made them a rogue authority. Cherry picking incidents of crime against women only in states where BJP is not in power is a disgrace," Dev, in her letter, said.

Dev said the women's rights body, set up under the NCW Act 1990, is functioning under the Ministry of Women & Child Development which is within the purview of the standing Committee.

"Since its inception, various assessments have been made regarding the functioning and effectiveness of the NCW and over time, it has become evident that there are several challenges in its structure, autonomy, and approach that have hindered its effectiveness in realising the mandates," she said.

The lawmaker said there has been a "loss of credibility" of the NCW over the years.

"In recent times, NCW has been displaying blatant disregard for its neutral status, and intervenes according to sheer political convenience of the ruling party. It becomes hyperactive when there are allegations of rape in states where the opposition parties are in power like West Bengal, but forgets to visit Assam where a 7-year old gets raped in Tinsukia," she said.

"Shattering its neutrality, the NCW Chairpersons name Opposition ruled Chief Ministers, by politically attacking them, but does not visit Manipur for almost four months, where women are paraded naked and raped," she said.

She said the power to take suo moto notice is also being exercised selectively by NCW to favour parties in power.

"When our Olympic champions were fighting on the roads, protesting against a ruling party MP and exposing his sexual misconduct, the NCW does not take suo motu cognizance and meet the wrestlers, instead they tell them to file a complaint with the commission whereas the entire nation was watching our champions being beaten by the police," she said.

"Recent incidents of a thirteen year old, gang raped, eight times in Haridwar, seven year old girl Gang raped in Tinsukia, Assam just last month, a doctor dragged out tied to a tree beaten with rods because he treated the mother of a gang rape victim in Bihar. Several such instances in recent times expose how NCW has become politically coloured, and its functioning requires immediate attention," she said.

She said amending the NCW Act, 1990, should be reconsidered to grant the NCW effective powers but at the same time there needs to be checks and balances to ensure that the powers are not used only to target political opponents of the party in power.

"It is fair to say that NCW is captive to the government for various reasons. Currently, it is financially dependent on the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), which controls budget approvals, staff appointments, and Secretariat operations," she said.

"To safeguard the rights of women, the NCW should be empowered and made accountable for its activities," she said, urging Singh to consider taking concrete steps to review and reform the NCW. PTI AO VN VN

NCW autonomy reforms urged to curb partisan suo moto actions and strengthen accountability through legislative amendment and financial independence The communication urges amendment of the NCW governing law to remedy loss of credibility caused by selective use of suo moto powers and politicised interventions. It identifies dependency on the Ministry for budget, staff and secretariat control as undermining neutrality and calls for statutory reforms to secure institutional autonomy, financial and administrative independence, and checks and oversight to prevent partisan use of powers while strengthening accountability and effectiveness.