As the country witnesses a rise in the number of rape and sexual assault cases, a GPS-based tele-alarm device was launched on Friday to help people, especially women in distress. During any emergency, it will send out text messages.
The device, called Nirbhaya, has been created by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and manufactured by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).
The gadget, which will fit in a handbag or pocket, will be paired with the user’s cellphone via Bluetooth. In times of distress or fear of attack, a person needs to only push a button and pre-formatted “Please Help” messages will go to five people whose phone numbers have been pre-selected. These could include phone numbers of parents, relatives, friends, the family doctor and the police. The message will give the exact location of the user. The device will continue to send the latest GPS location every minute to the five numbers. “The device will be available in the retail market within a month. It is pegged to cost about Rs. 3,000,” said ECIL managing director P. Sudhakar.
R.K. Sinha, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, said the design of the product started after the Delhi gang-rape on December 16 last year.
