Much of India is outraged by the acts of a mob that molested a teenage girl on a Guwahati street on July 10. What is a greater outrage is the fact that such episodes keep repeating themselves regularly all over the country. While the depravity of the wrongdoers is certainly reprehensible, what has contributed to this nightmare is the fact that more often than not — apart from knee-jerk reactions — the authorities fail to learn any lessons.

Not enough: Women GRP constables are responsible for ensuring the safety of nearly 20 lakh female commuters on Central and Western Railway every day. File PIc/Bipin Kokate