India has witnessed an upsurge in the number of rape cases in the recent past.

The situation has become so intense that in our daily newspapers, rape rears its ugly faade almost every day. Sometimes, it is a brutal rape and murder by a stranger, gang-rape of a girl by her acquaintances or in many cases rape of a girl by her own father or elderly relatives. In recent years, there has been an alarming rise in ratio of rape in India. It is becoming such a common thing in our newspapers that we are apt to not even pay any remarkable attention. In view of the startling situation one naturally is forced to think what the reason of the increasing criminal and barbaric trends in Indian youths is. One thing is noticeable that as the country is heading rapidly to globalization and westernization the ratio of such crimes is going higher and higher. Globalization has caused a significant change in the Indian culture, society and scenario. Late night party cultures, discos, dating clubs etc. have increased in numbers in the past 10 years. The satellite and cable TV channels have grown and are almost uncensored by any organized authority. Also, this decade has witnessed a huge increase in pornography materials both in CDs and oninternet. Moreover, the lousy law and order in our country has facilitated this hideous crime. The sudden increase in rape statistics clearly shows that men dont have the fear of being caught or getting prosecuted . Alongside, India has a deeplyrooted social discrimination against women. our Indian culture

that gives high order hierarchy for men, is an element of increased crimes against women. Our culture, often patriarchal, has historically promoted a system of honor, dishonor and shame, which was applied with particularly strictness to females. A victim of rape would be considered to have lost her honorable reputation and place in society, a loss of honor, which entailed shame on the woman's family group as well. In my view,stopping rapes completely is practically impossible. However several steps can be taken to bring down the magnitude of this crime. We must educate people, starting at the school level, about respect for women, for personal spaces and for the rule of law. We need to introspect, all of us, on how we contribute to the objectification of women, from the popular culture we consume to the way we bring up our children from where its a slippery slope to a twisted and unjust understanding of sexual assault in legal terms. In terms of the law, we urgently need a more comprehensive and inclusive definition of sexual violence, critical amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure that will reduce the time taken for trials, fast track courts for sexual assault cases, harsher punishments and a serious programme of police reform and sensitisation. All of these are doable, and all are equally crucial not just for better implementation but also to signal the seriousness with which such crimes will be viewed.