Facing flak over its failure to prevent rapes, the Indian government Wednesday announced the setting up of a judicial inquiry commission to probe the recent gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student on a moving bus in the national capital.

Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced the setting up of the commission which will be headed by retired woman judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Usha Mehra, and it will "identify the lapses", if any, on the part of authorities and "fix responsibility".

"Whatever we are doing now is only intended to demonstrate the government's serious intent on the matter that we will apprehend and punish the perpetrators. We will try and find out what went wrong and fix responsibility. We will also amend the laws as deemed necessary," he told the media in the national capital, after a Cabinet meeting.

The probe would identify the lapses, if any, on the part of the police, or another authority or person that contributed to the occurrence, and fix responsibility for the lapses or negligence, said Chidambaram, India's former home minister, adding the commission would submit its report in three months, following which it will be tabled in Parliament.

The government has already suspended two senior police officials for failing to prevent the gangrape.

The Delhi University student was allegedly gangraped by six men on a moving bus last week and subsequently beaten up mercilessly, along with her boyfriend, before being thrown off the vehicle in the south of the national capital. The duo had boarded the private bus after watching a movie at a multiplex.

All the six accused, including the bus driver, have been arrested and they are currently in judicial custody awaiting trial which is likely to start from next week.

The gangrape sparked nationwide outrage and triggered violent clashes in the Indian capital during this weekend, which left one policeman dead and scores injured, and more than 100 protesters hurt. The police had sealed central Delhi till Tuesday night in order to prevent protesters from gathering near the iconic India Gate which is close to the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President's estate) and the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the condition of the victim continues to be critical and she is on "life support". Doctors treating her at a government hospital say that though she has shown marginal signs of improvement, but the condition is "still critical".