New Delhi, Jan 4 : A conference of Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of various states will be held here today to discuss issues regarding crime against women and atrocities on Scheduled Castes (SCs) / Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The conference will be addressed by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Kumari Selja, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath and senior officials from the Home Ministry.

The conference will discuss the issues relating to safety and security of women and SCs/STs, issues and challenges in combating crime against women, strategies to eliminate violence against women, analysis of recent statistics of various crimes against women, infanticide and female foeticide, so called honour killings, acid attack on women and victim compensation scheme.

The conference will also discuss atrocities against the weaker sections, institutional mechanisms and capacity building and Standard operating procedures (SOPs), amendments in the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012.

The conference has been called in the wake of gang-rape and brutal attack on a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi last month that has evoked nation-wide outrage. She died in a Singapore hospital last week.

"After the unfortunate incident that took place in Delhi, Union Home Minister called for a meeting of all the DGPs and Chief Secretaries tomorrow. Not only in Delhi, but unfortunate cases such as this take place in the entire country with women and SC/ STs almost every day. The most important thing is that the culprits should be punished as soon as possible. We will have to bring in a mechanism so that the people fear before committing such crimes. There is a need to have laws, which deter people to attempt such crimes," Minister of State for Home R. P. N. Singh said on Thursday.

"This meeting has also been called to sensitise the police as people fear going to the police stations or speaking to the men in uniform. We will discuss measures for prevention of crime and safety of women and SC/ STs and the important steps that can be taken to help them," he added.

The Home Minister has invited suggestions from the various political outfits on amendments to rape laws

Shinde, who has written to all political parties, asked them to give suggestions to the Justice Verma panel. He had earlier said that the rape laws would be made more stringent.

The Congress-led UPA Government, which has been forced on the backfoot over this heinous crime, has constituted a three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J. S. Verma to give recommendations on amending laws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in sexual assault cases.

The three-member committee, which has sought suggestions from the general public by January 5, has issued a notice seeking suggestions from the public in general, particularly eminent jurists, legal professionals, NGOs, women''s groups and civil society members in a bid to provide quicker justice and stringent punishment for crimes against women. (ANI)