Lok Sabha Question No. 2214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-01
Subject: Prevention of Child Abuse
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Arun Kumar Sagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2214 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025

## PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE

## 2214.  SHRI ARUN KUMAR SAGAR:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to enact any law for the prevention of child abuse;
- (b) if so, the timeline by which the law would be enacted; and
- (c) if not, the various steps being taken by the Government to prevent child abuse?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a)  to  (b):  Government  accords  the  highest priority  for  ensuring  safety  and  security  of children  and  has  undertaken  various  initiatives  in  this  regard.  To  safeguard  children against  sexual  abuse  and  sexual  harassment,  Government  has  already  enacted  The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. It defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.

(c):  The POCSO Act, 2012 was amended in 2019 to introduce more stringent punishments including death penalty for committing sexual crimes on children, with a view to deter the perpetrators & prevent such crimes.  The  POCSO  Act,  2012  also  provides for establishment of Special Courts for the purpose of ensuring speedy trial.

Ministry  of Women & Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021) which is the primary legislation  for  ensuring  the  safety,  security,  dignity  and  well-being  of  children.  The  Act provides for protection of Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in  Conflict  with  Law  (CCL)  by  catering  to  their  basic  needs  through  care,  protection, development,  treatment  and  social  re-integration.  It  defines  standards  of  care  and protection to secure the best interests of child. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules and Adoption Regulations, have also been promulgated under the Act. Among others, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021 empowers the District Magistrate to function as the focal point for implementation of JJ Act, 2015.

Section 2(14) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), lays down the detailed criteria under which any child is considered to be CNCP. Section 3 of JJ Act, 2015 lays down the general principles of care and protection of children, which serve as guiding principles for all stakeholders to ensure the safety, care and protection of children, prioritizing the best interests of the child at all times.

Further,  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR),  as  an  apex statutory body, is mandated to monitor effective implementation of various Acts and Rules related to violations and deprivation of rights of children has undertaken the following steps to prevent child abuse viz:

- i. NCPCR inquiries into any/all complaints related to child abuse as per its mandate and in  accordance with provisions contained in various child rights legislations or takes suo-motu cognizance of matters relating to deprivation and violation of child rights including child abuse based on information available in the media (print/electronic/social);
- ii. The  Commission  examines  and  reviews  the  safeguards  provided  under  any  law related to child abuse and recommends measures for their effective implementation from time to time;
- iii. It examines all factors that inhibit the enjoyment of rights of children, including those affected  by  terrorism,  communal  violence,  natural  disaster,  trafficking,  HIV/AIDS, prostitution, and torture;
- iv. It  looks into matters relating to child abuse for children in need of special care and protection,  such  as  children  in  distress,  marginalized  and  disadvantaged  children, children in conflict with law, children without families, and children of prisoners;
- v. To  ensure  that  children  are  not  subjected  to  instances  of  abuse  the  Commission inspects or cause to be inspected any juvenile custodial home or any institution meant for children, and recommends remedial action thereof;
- vi. Undertakes and promote research, create awareness, and spread literacy about child abuse;

In  accordance  with  above,  the  NCPCR  takes  various  initiatives  like  issuing  advisories, guidelines, awareness campaigns, conferences with stakeholders, continuous monitoring of pending complaints and for their faster resolution etc.

The Ministry  of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, 'Mission Vatsalya' through States/Union Territories (UTs) on predefined financial norms between the Centre and States/UTs to deliver various services for CNCP and CCL which include Institutional Care and Non-Institutional Care Services.  The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the scheme support, inter-alia, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care and counselling. Under the Non-Institutional Care component, support is extended by way of Adoption, Foster Care, After Care and Sponsorship.

The  scheme  also  provides  for  emergency  outreach  services  (24x7x365)  for  children  in difficult circumstances through Toll-free Child Helpline (1098) which is integrated with Tollfree Emergency Response Support System-112 (ERSS-112) Helpline of Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  (MWCD)  has  also  introduced,  the  centrally funded scheme namely 'Scheme for Care and Support to Victims under Section 4 & 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012' from NIRBHAYA fund to address the challenges faced by the minor pregnant girl child victims and fills the gaps in the existing schemes for implementation by the  State/UT  Governments.  The  main  objective  of  this  Scheme  is  to  provide  integrated support and assistance to minor pregnant girl child victims under one roof and to facilitate her immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services for long term rehabilitation in terms of access to education, police assistance, medical (also comprising maternity,  neo-  natal  and  infant  care),  psychological,  mental  health  counselling,  legal support, Non- Institutional Care support, place of stay in Child Care Institutions/Aftercare facilities and health insurance cover for the girl child victim and her new-born.

Further  the  various  provisions  in  the  new  criminal  laws  enacted  in  2023,  namely  the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 replacing the Indian Penal Code 1860 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 provide effective deterrence against sexual abuse of children. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provides for more stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12 years and imprisonment for the remainder of a person's natural life in cases of rape of girls below 12 years.  Additionally, Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita mandates completion of investigation in cases of rape and sexual assault on children within two months and trials are also to be completed in two months (Section 346 of BNSS, 2023).

Further, the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice has informed that, in pursuance to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, the Government of India finalized a scheme in August, 2019 for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for expeditious trial and disposal of cases pertaining to rape and POCSO Act, 2012 in a time-bound manner under a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme.  As  of  30.04.2025,  746  FTSCs  including  405  exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) Courts are functional in 30 States/UTs across the country, which have disposed of 3,25,364 cases since the inception of the Scheme till 30.04.2025. State-Wise details of functional FTSCs and cases disposed Under FTSCs as on 30.04.2025 is annexed.

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  TO  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO-2214  FOR  01.08.2025 REGARDING  'PREVENTION  OF  CHILD  ABUSE'  INDICATING  STATE-WISE  DETAILS  OF FUNCTIONAL FTSCs AND CASES DIPOSED UNDER FTSCs AS OF 30.04.2025

| S.NO.   |                   | Functional Courts      | Functional Courts   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   |
|---------|-------------------|------------------------|---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| S.NO.   | State/UT          | FTSCs including ePOCSO | ePOCSO              | FTSCs                                                   | ePOCSO                                                  | Total                                                   |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 16                     | 16                  | 0                                                       | 7183                                                    | 7183                                                    |
| 2       | Assam             | 17                     | 17                  | 0                                                       | 8507                                                    | 8507                                                    |
| 3       | Bihar             | 46                     | 46                  | 0                                                       | 16232                                                   | 16232                                                   |
| 4       | Chandigarh        | 1                      | 0                   | 358                                                     | 0                                                       | 358                                                     |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh      | 15                     | 11                  | 1246                                                    | 4985                                                    | 6231                                                    |
| 6       | Delhi             | 16                     | 11                  | 736                                                     | 1881                                                    | 2617                                                    |
| 7       | Goa               | 1                      | 0                   | 76                                                      | 34                                                      | 110                                                     |
| 8       | Gujarat           | 35                     | 24                  | 3211                                                    | 12800                                                   | 16011                                                   |
| 9       | Haryana           | 16                     | 12                  | 1972                                                    | 5941                                                    | 7913                                                    |
| 10      | Himachal Pradesh  | 6                      | 3                   | 558                                                     | 781                                                     | 1339                                                    |
| 11      | J&K               | 4                      | 2                   | 139                                                     | 163                                                     | 302                                                     |
| 12      | Jharkhand         | 22                     | 16                  | 2737                                                    | 6212                                                    | 8949                                                    |
| 13      | Karnataka         | 30                     | 17                  | 5230                                                    | 8432                                                    | 13662                                                   |
| 14      | Kerala            | 55                     | 14                  | 17776                                                   | 7734                                                    | 25510                                                   |
| 15      | Madhya Pradesh    | 67                     | 56                  | 4776                                                    | 26565                                                   | 31341                                                   |
| 16      | Maharashtra       | 4                      | 1                   | 8711                                                    | 12008                                                   | 20719                                                   |
| 17      | Manipur           | 2                      | 0                   | 180                                                     | 0                                                       | 180                                                     |
| 18      | Meghalaya         | 5                      | 5                   | 0                                                       | 703                                                     | 703                                                     |
| 19      | Mizoram           | 3                      | 1                   | 196                                                     | 68                                                      | 264                                                     |
| 20      | Nagaland          | 1                      | 0                   | 65                                                      | 3                                                       | 68                                                      |
| 21      | Odisha            | 44                     | 23                  | 6968                                                    | 12652                                                   | 19620                                                   |
| 22      | Puducherry        | 1                      | 1                   | 0                                                       | 150                                                     | 150                                                     |
| 23      | Punjab            | 12                     | 3                   | 2707                                                    | 2439                                                    | 5146                                                    |
| 24      | Rajasthan         | 45                     | 30                  | 5639                                                    | 13130                                                   | 18769                                                   |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu        | 14                     | 14                  | 0                                                       | 9918                                                    | 9918                                                    |
| 26      | Telangana         | 36                     | 0                   | 8344                                                    | 2731                                                    | 11075                                                   |
| 27      | Tripura           | 3                      | 1                   | 242                                                     | 229                                                     | 471                                                     |
| 28      | Uttarakhand       | 4                      | 0                   | 1891                                                    | 0                                                       | 1891                                                    |
| 29      | Uttar Pradesh     | 218                    | 74                  | 42895                                                   | 46852                                                   | 89747                                                   |
| 30      | West Bengal       | 7                      | 7                   | 0                                                       | 378                                                     | 378                                                     |
| 31      | A&N Islands       | 0                      | 0                   | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
| 32      | Arunachal Pradesh | 0                      | 0                   | 0                                                       | 0                                                       | 0                                                       |
|         | TOTAL             | 746                    | 405                 | 116653                                                  | 208711                                                  | 325364                                                  |

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