Lok Sabha Question No. 819 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: POCSO Rules
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ms. S Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 819

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2024

## POCSO RULES

## 819:   MS. S. JOTHIMANI:

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

- (a) the amount of funds allocated and spent on information dissemination in public spaces as per Section 3(2) of the POCSO Rules (2020) during the last three years, year-wise;
- (b) the details of the steps taken by the Centre for awareness generation under Section 3(3) of the POCSO Rules (2020), alongwith the Centre-State financial share in the same;
- (c) the  details  of  the  expenditure  incurred  by  the  Centre  on  training,  orientation programmes  and  sensitisation  workshops  for  personnel  coming  in  contact  with children under Section 3(6) of the POCSO Rules; and
- (d) the number and details of the programmes conducted under Section 3(6) of the Act along with the number of participants therein, Profession wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (d): As per section- 44 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is mandated to monitor  the  implementation  of  the  POCSO  Act.  The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child Development  releases  funds  to  NCPCR  for  carrying  out  various  activities  including monitoring of implementation of POCSO Act.

Section 43 of the 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, as detailed below, to create awareness of the provisions of the POCSO Act through electronic and print media, consultations, workshops and training programmes with stakeholders concerned:

1.   A short Video Clip on POCSO Act was developed and disseminated on TV. The video clip was also played in Cinema halls on 840 screens. Audio spot of 45 Seconds was aired on FM stations. Print Campaign was done in newspapers on Pan India basis on 08.03.2020, 15.03.2020 and 22.03.2020.  This awareness campaign about POCSO Act, was done by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in 2020.
2.  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training (NCERT)  has  published information on Childline (1098) - 24x7 Helpline for children and POCSO eBox on the back side of the front cover of all the course books from class 6th to class 12th to equip the children with the information regarding possible modes of protection/complaints.
3.  Further, the Ministry has organized following zonal conferences and sensitization/dissemination workshops under Mission Vatsalya Scheme:
- i. Zonal Conferences: Outreach with State Governments/UT Administrations and Stakeholders on Strategic Interventions for addressing malnutrition concerns and for the  development,  empowerment  and  protection  of  Women  and  Children  including Mission Vatsalya scheme.

ii. Dissemination  Workshops: National  dissemination  workshop  was  held  on Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children ) Act, 2015, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and the rules thereunder, the Adoption Regulations, 2022 and provisions under Mission Vatsalya Scheme on 17.08.2022 and 29.08.2022 with all States/UTs, line Ministries/ Departments, representatives from Police, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Child Protection functionaries including members of  Child  Welfare  Committees(CWCs)/Juvenile  Justice  Boards(JJBs)  and  other stakeholders.

iii. Workshops: Workshops on sensitization/ training programme for Panchayati Raj Representatives (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Police on Child Rights & Protection including Mission Vatsalya Scheme at Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on 16.11.2022 and 14.09.2023 and 15.09.2023 in collaboration with UT Administration. This workshop was attended by officers from Ministry, NCPCR, UT of J&K, Administrative and Police Training Institutes, District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs), CWCs, JJBs, Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs), representative from UNICEF and other Stakeholders.

- iv. Vatsal Bharat: Regional symposiums on child protection, child safety and child welfare including provisions under Mission Vatsalya Scheme were organized, starting from  02.07.2023  to  18.08.2023  at  Delhi,  Bhopal,  Mumbai,  Ranchi,  Guwahati  and Varanasi. In the Regional Symposiums, representatives from States/UTs including members  of  Child  Welfare  Committees  (CWCs),  Juvenile  Justice  Boards  (JJBs), Members of  Village  Child  Protection  Committee  (VCPC)  and  Anganwadi  Workers participated. Total 9500 members participated.
- v. A three day consultation was organized by the Ministry from 22.03.2023 to 24.03.2023 at National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development   (NIPCCD)  to  improve uses of Mission Vatsalya portal by its user/stakeholders.
- vi. A virtual technical training Session on the modules of Institutional and Non- Institutional Care of Mission Vatsalya portal for North Eastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) was organized by the Ministry on 15.11.2023.
- vii. NIPCCD  has  conducted 52  training  programmes  during  last  three  years financial  years  under  Section  3(6)  of  POCSO  Rules  covering  2779  participants. Participants  included  Principals  of  Kendriya  Vidyalaya,  Government  Officers  of Railways, Banks and others Public Service Undertaking (PSUs), Representatives of voluntary  organizations  working  in  the  field  of  Women  and  Children,  officials  of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Child Development Project Officers,

Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers, functionaries of Competition Commission of India, school teachers and staff, faculty of Universities, secondary and higher secondary school children, functionaries of Mission Vatsalaya, Special Juvenile Police Units, law enforcement  agencies  like  Police  &  Judiciary,  medical  professionals,  members  of Child  Welfare  Committees  &  Juvenile  Justice  Board  and  coordinators  of  Special Adoption Agencies.

Details  of  total  funds  released  under  Mission  Vatsalya  during  the  last  three years including for awareness are placed at Annexure.

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Annexure

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN PART (A)-(D) OF REPLY IN LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 819 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2024 ASKED BY MS. S. JOTHIMANI INDICATING DETAILS OF TOTAL FUNDS RELEASED UNDER MISSION VATSALYA SCHEMES DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS INCLUDING FOR AWARENESS.

(Rs. In Lakh)

| Financial Year      |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|---------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Total Fund Released |   63546.2 |     88476 |    134168 |

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