Lok Sabha Question No. 2690 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-06
Subject: Sexual Exploitation of Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kapil Moreshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO.2690

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2020

## SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN

## 2690.  SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  incidents  of  sexual  misconduct/exploitation/violence  against  the children  across  the country  has  been  increasing  over  the  years  despite having  stringent laws and provisions;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the number of such incidents reported during each of the last three years, year-wise, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has proposed to initiate any  national  drive  to  raise public  awareness  against such  incidents  across  the  country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the Government to protect children from sexual misconduct/exploitation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (b) The details of the number of such incidents reported during 2016-2018, as provided by National Crime Records Bureau, State/UT-wise is at Annexure-I .

(c) to (e) Section 43 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 provides that the Central Government and every State Government shall take all measures to give wide publicity to the provisions of the Act. In accordance with this, the Government has taken various steps from time to time to create awareness of the provisions  of  the  POCSO  Act  through  electronic  and  print  media,  consultations, workshops and training programmes with stakeholders concerned. In order to generate awareness about the POCSO Act, a short clip (duration 45 seconds) on POCSO Act was disseminated in Cinema Halls and Doordarshan across the nation from 02.10.2019 to 08.10.2019.

Further,  letters  have  been  written  by  Secretary,  WCD  to  all  the  States/UTs for taking  necessary  action  for  awareness  and  sensitization  in  schools  on  issue  of  child safety and prevention of child sexual abuse.

Under Samagra Shiksha, school safety pledge has been initiated. The Government has also directed all Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan across the country to display  awareness content on POCSO on their notice boards or any other prominent place  in  the  schools.  School  Safety  Pledges  are  also  being  taken  in  schools  with appropriate messages on Child Safety and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse.

Minister,  Women  and  Child  Development  (WCD)  has  written  to  all  the  Chief Ministers, Members  of Parliament, and Heads of local Bodies/Panchayati Raj Institutions to take all necessary measures for effective implementation of the POCSO Act, 2012 as amended in 2019. Secretary, WCD has also written a letter to this effect to all the Secretaries of line Ministries and Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs.

Further, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) are also mandated to monitor the implementation of the POCSO Act, 2012.

******

Statement  Referred  To  In  Part  (a)  of  Reply  To  Lok  Sabha  Un-Starred  Question  No.2690    For Answer On 06.03.2020 raised by SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL on 'SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF  CHILDREN'  indicating  State/UT-wise  Cases  Reported  (CR)  under  Crime  against  Children during 2016-2018

| S.   |                   | 2016   | 2017   | 2018   |
|------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|
| No.  | State/UT          | CR     | CR     | CR     |
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh    | 1847   | 2397   | 2672   |
| 2    | Arunachal Pradesh | 133    | 138    | 166    |
| 3    | Assam             | 3964   | 4951   | 5447   |
| 4    | Bihar             | 3932   | 5386   | 7340   |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh      | 4746   | 6518   | 6924   |
| 6    | Goa               | 230    | 196    | 182    |
| 7    | Gujarat           | 3637   | 3955   | 4929   |
| 8    | Haryana           | 3099   | 4169   | 4869   |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh  | 467    | 528    | 772    |
| 10   | Jammu & Kashmir   | 222    | 359    | 473    |
| 11   | Jharkhand         | 717    | 1247   | 1479   |
| 12   | Karnataka         | 4455   | 5890   | 6131   |
| 13   | Kerala            | 2879   | 3562   | 4253   |
| 14   | Madhya Pradesh    | 13746  | 19038  | 18992  |
| 15   | Maharashtra       | 14559  | 16918  | 18892  |
| 16   | Manipur           | 134    | 109    | 128    |
| 17   | Meghalaya         | 240    | 379    | 385    |
| 18   | Mizoram           | 188    | 220    | 198    |
| 19   | Nagaland          | 78     | 93     | 70     |
| 20   | Odisha            | 3286   | 3185   | 5217   |
| 21   | Punjab            | 1843   | 2133   | 2308   |
| 22   | Rajasthan         | 4034   | 5180   | 5150   |
| 23   | Sikkim            | 110    | 190    | 221    |
| 24   | Tamil Nadu        | 2856   | 3529   | 4155   |
| 25   | Telangana         | 2909   | 3580   | 3747   |
| 26   | Tripura           | 274    | 276    | 271    |
| 27   | Uttar Pradesh     | 16079  | 19145  | 19936  |
| 28   | Uttarakhand       | 676    | 829    | 1306   |
| 29   | West Bengal       | 7004   | 6551   | 6286   |
|      | TOTAL STATE(S)    | 98344  | 120651 | 132899 |
| 30   | A&N Islands       | 86     | 119    | 162    |
| 31   | Chandigarh        | 222    | 275    | 288    |
| 32   | D&N Haveli        | 21     | 31     | 38     |
| 33   | Daman & Diu       | 31     | 24     | 34     |
| 34   | Delhi             | 8178   | 7852   | 8246   |
| 35   | Lakshadweep       | 5      | 4      | 8      |
| 36   | Puducherry        | 71     | 76     | 89     |
|      | TOTAL UT(S)       | 8614   | 8381   | 8865   |
|      | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 106958 | 129032 | 141764 |