Overview

• The Supreme Court directed all states and union territories to designate protection officers at district and taluka levels within six weeks to ensure victim safety.
• States must identify and ensure the availability of shelter homes, service providers, and help groups for distressed women.
• Protection officers are tasked with implementing the Domestic Violence Act, including promoting awareness through media and coordinating support services.
• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been instructed to spread awareness about women's rights to free legal aid under the Act.
• This directive follows a petition by the NGO We the Women of India, highlighting infrastructure gaps that have hindered the Act’s implementation since its 2005 enactment.