NEW DELHI // Ritu Bharadwaj fears being assaulted by men when she returns home at night from university.
The 27-year-old lives in New Delhi, which has the highest rate of sexual assault in the country.
She often hears the lewd comments that women in the city have come to expect from men. At times men have followed or spat at her.
"After 9.30 at night, it is dangerous to travel alone," she said. "Anyone can snatch my bag or pull my shirt. Such things happen all the time. It is a way of life here."
In 2010 there were 489 reported cases of rape in Delhi, up by 6.5 per cent from 2009, according to police.
Ms Bharadwaj, a business-management student at the University of Delhi, hopes that should she become another of the growing list of sexual-assault or kidnapping victims in the city, her phone will save her.
She volunteered to test a smartphone application that enables women to alert friends or family should they feel at risk of attack. The application was launched on Wednesday.
Called "Fight Back," the application will, at the press of a button, send an SOS via text message and email as well as provide her location on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
The recipients can track the senders location and spread the word to someone who may be at a closer location, or alert the police.
Ms Bharadwaj has included her father, brother, sister and two friends on her list. Like most women in India, she is reluctant to approach the police, fearing repercussions, such as bringing dishonour on the family.
Users can choose to include the Delhi police on their shortlist, according to Hindol Sengupta, the co-founder of WhyPoll, a non-profit organisation that created the application. But he agreed that people generally do not trust the authorities to help them.
"We realised that most people - these were women, men, families, individuals, a mix - often do not go to the police," he said.
The new mobile application, Mr Sengupta said, was designed for women who were at the most risk of assault. "College students or outsourcing workers would need and use the app ... they tend to have more exposure to harassment," he said.
A subscription to the Fight Back application costs 100 rupees (Dh6.97) a year.
It is available only in English and in Delhi. Whypoll plans to introduce it to nine more cities by the end of 2012.
It works on more than a hundred models of Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Blackberry phones. The application does not yet work on iPhones.
A survey conducted in 2010 by the Delhi government showed that 80 per cent of women in Delhi feared for their safety and 68 per cent dealt with harassment either by confronting their attacker or seeking help from family and friends, said the report.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent said they avoided stepping out alone after dark and 65 per cent said they feared taking public transport. The highest levels of harassment were experienced on public transport, buses and on the side of the road.
sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The%20specs
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'Hocus%20Pocus%202'
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