Phase I of Pan-India Single Emergency Helpline Number 112 Launched in 16 States/UTs

• The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi together launched the pan-India single emergency number “112” in New Delhi on February 19, 2019.
• The first phase of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) for women safety was launched in 16 states and Union territories.
• All the states will need to set up a dedicated Emergency Response Centre, ERC.
• The project is being financed using Rs 321.69 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme
• Person in Distress, mainly women, can dial 112/ use the 112 India app/ use designated panic buttons on their phones to connect to a single number based emergency service linked to police, fire services, health services and other helplines.
• The service has already been launched in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
• Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal was also launched.
• The states where ERSS has been launched are Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, UP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, J&K.