Lok Sabha Question No. 2235 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Pending Cases in Juvenile Justice Boards
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2235

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## PENDING CASES IN JUVENILE JUSTICE BOARD

## 2235.  PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

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

- (a) whether the India Justice Report reveals that more than 50% of cases are pending in Juvenile Justice Boards across the country due to acute shortage of staff;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) whether there is any Central Public Repository of Information on the Juvenile Justice Boards of the country, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of the steps taken so far to fill the existing vacant posts of Juvenile Boards across the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d):  The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  the  nodal  Ministry  for  the administration of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children and is implemented by the States and Union Territories.

Section 4 (1) of the JJ Act, provides that the State Government shall constitute for every district one  or  more  Juvenile  Justice  Boards  (JJBs)  for  exercising  the  powers  and  discharging  its functions relating to children in conflict with law. Further, as per section 106 of JJ Act, 2015, the primary responsibility and execution of the JJ Act, 2015 lies with the States and Union Territories and they are required to ensure effective implementation of the Act.

As per  Section  16  of  JJ  Act,  2015,  the  Chief  Judicial  Magistrate  or  the  Chief  Metropolitan Magistrate shall review the pendency of cases of the JJB once in every three months, and shall direct the JJB to increase the frequency of its sittings or may recommend the constitution of additional JJBs. The number of cases pending before the JJB, duration of such pendency, nature of pendency and reasons thereof shall be reviewed in every six months by a high level committee consisting of the Executive Chairperson of the State Legal Services Authority, who shall be the Chairperson, the Home Secretary, the Secretary responsible for the implementation of JJ Act in the  State  and  a  representative  from  a  voluntary  or  non-governmental  organisation  to  be nominated by the Chairperson.

Further, the information of such pendency shall also be furnished by the JJB to the Chief Judicial Magistrate or the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate and the District Magistrate on quarterly basis in such form as may be prescribed by the State Government. The District Magistrate may, as and when required, in the best interest of a child, call for any information from all the stakeholders including the JJB.

The Ministry does not maintain repository of cases referred and pending before the JJBs.

The Ministry has issued various guidelines and advisories from time to time for strengthening implementation of JJ Act, 2015 including filling up vacancies in Statutory Structures by the States and Union Territories. The Ministry also regularly engages with the States and Union Territories with regard to implementation of the JJ Act effectively.

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