Ministry Approves Nine New One-Stop Centres Abroad for Indian Women

Current Context: The Empowered Committee of the Ministry of Women and Child Development has approved the Ministry of External Affairs' proposal to set up nine One-Stop Centres (OSCs) for Indian women facing distress abroad.

• The committee is typically composed of key officials and ministers from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, including the Minister of Women and Child Development as the chairperson.
• These centres will be located in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah & Riyadh), Toronto, and Singapore.
• Seven of these centres will include shelter homes, while the two in Toronto and Singapore will operate without shelter homes.
• The aim is to provide comprehensive assistance, including shelter, legal aid, emergency medical care, and counselling to women in vulnerable situations.
• This initiative is part of the broader Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF), which supports distressed Indian nationals abroad.

Question:

1 Which two countries will have One-Stop Centres (OSCs) operating without shelter homes?

• A) UAE and Bahrain
• B) Singapore and Toronto
• C) Oman and Qatar
• D) Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Answer: B) Among the nine OSCs, the centres in Singapore and Toronto are unique as they will operate without shelter homes. The remaining seven centres will include shelter homes.