A public interest litigation has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking urgent judicial intervention to ensure the appointment of a Chairperson and full staffing of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), highlighting the prolonged non-functioning of the statutory body established to protect women’s rights. The petition was filed by a Member of Parliament, who has contended that despite the DCW’s statutory mandate to provide institutional support, grievance redressal and crisis intervention for women, the Commission has remained largely inaccessible and non-operational for a significant period, with the Chairperson’s post vacant since early last year. The petition asserts that the absence of leadership and essential staff has led to what it describes as “institutional paralysis,” with critical statutory programmes including family counselling units, a rape crisis cell, crisis intervention centres and other allied mechanisms rendered ineffective or dormant.
According to the plea, the DCW’s office has reportedly remained closed even during working hours, with no functioning helpdesk, officers, or support personnel available to receive or process complaints from women seeking assistance. This, the petition maintains, has deprived women of access to immediate institutional support and essential services at a time when Delhi continues to record high numbers of crimes against women, undermining the very purpose for which the Commission was constituted. The petitioner stated that representations were sent to senior government officials including the Chief Secretary and the Lieutenant Governor last year, drawing attention to the Commission’s continued non-functionality, yet no corrective action was taken by the authorities.
The PIL emphasises that the prolonged vacancy of the Chairperson’s post has resulted in the absence of leadership and administrative direction, which in turn has eroded accountability and oversight within the Commission. It argues that the continued inaction on filling the statutory position and restoring the Commission’s operational efficacy constitutes a failure on the part of the government to uphold the rights and protections guaranteed to women under the Constitution, and calls for judicial direction to ensure that the DCW is made fully functional at its notified premises with adequate staffing and resources.
In seeking relief, the petitioner has asked the Delhi High Court to direct the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and other relevant authorities to take immediate steps to fill the vacant Chairperson post within a fixed timeframe, deploy sufficient officers, staff and support personnel, and ensure the effective functioning of all statutory programmes and services of the Commission. The plea underscores that a statutory body mandated to safeguard women’s rights should not be allowed to exist merely on paper, and that judicial oversight is necessary to prevent further institutional paralysis and guarantee access to justice and protection for women in distress.
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