https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In Kerala, an App for Women Safety

Nirbhayam app is an initiative taken by Kerala Police for enhancing safety of women in the state. Designed by senior IPS officer Vijay S Sakhare, it virtually puts a protective shield around women.
Indian Masterminds Stories

In an era where we can see a shift in how policing works, another initiative has been taken to ensure women’s safety with the help of technology. This time it comes from the ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala, where an app called Nirbhayam has been launched to ensure that information regarding imminent threat to women reaches the police instantaneously.

The app was launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 5 February 2021. But the officer who is the mastermind behind ideating this idea is Mr. Vijay S Sakhare, currently serving as the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Kochi, Kerala.

In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, the 1996-batch IPS officer discussed about how the idea came in at the first place and how it has been designed to enhance women’s safety in the whole of Kerala.

THE GENESIS

Mr. Sakhare, while speaking about how he got the idea, said “I was working on the app for the past one and a half years, and it was ready before Covid-19 entered our country. Due to the pandemic, I couldn’t launch it early.”

Video Conference with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

“I thought of creating a platform wherein if a lady is being assaulted or attacked, can immediately pass an alert message to the police without any information to the assailant. Based on the ideation and the requirements, we took help of some professional developers and came out with this app,” he added.

The app was launched on February 5, 2021 and is now a freely available for download, from both App Store and Google Play.

HOW DOES IT WORK

Speaking about how the app operates, Mr. Sakhare said “Women can easily download this app on both IOS and Android mobile phones. If a woman is in distress or under any threat, she just has to open the widget and press and hold the ‘Help Button’ or the SOS button for five seconds. The app automatically sends the location of ‘woman needing help’ to the nearest police control room/police station.”

The app also provides the option to send text and audio messages. Not only this, but the women in distress can also share pictures and videos to the police discreetly, which can be later used as evidence to punish the assailant.

Mr. Sakhare said, “The beauty of this application is that once the women has started the process of sending a message, the assailant can’t stop it even if he is aware of it and tries to snatch away the phone. Unlike other applications, this app does not require an internet connection to send an alert to the police, as the message can also be sent via SMS.”

Asking how this app is qualitatively different from other similar measures adopted by the police to check crime against women, Mr. Sakhare said, “Earlier, a woman in distress had to physically call the police which is quite difficult because in most of the cases the assailant doesn’t let that happen. Secondly, it is very difficult for the woman to give the exact location to the police at such a time when she is being attacked or assaulted. So, this app helps the women in every way possible, empowers them to send an alarm to the police quickly, and does so without alerting the assailant and also ensuring a quick response. In a way, it creates a protective ‘shield’ around the women.’’

A video by Kerala Police

AWARENESS

The Kerala Police has adopted a multi-pronged approach to popularize this particular app., from sharing social media posts on Kerala Police’s official Twitter and Facebook page to asking celebrities to Tweet and share a post about the app on their personal Facebook page. And through an effective network of community policing, also known as ‘Jana Maitri Policing’, the Kerala Police is ensuring that every beat officer goes house to house and makes people download this app.

Awareness Campaign

The app is also being popularized through schools, residents’ associations, Student Police Cadet (SPC), Women Cells etc. The Kerala police is also seeking permission from the censor board to promote the app before the movie plays in movie theaters, so that it reaches to a wider set of people.

The response to the app has been phenomenal. Within six hours of launch, it was downloaded about to 30,000 times. Since then, it’s going from strength to strength.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT