The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) stated that both central and state governments are committed to protecting child rights. The comments were made at a state-level conference which was held to discuss the gaps and challenges in implementing key child rights laws, including the JJ Act 2015 and the POCSO Act 2012.
In the past six months alone, 26,000 cases have been addressed, over 2,300 children have been rescued, and more than 1,000 children have been repatriated. This reflects the sheer volume of cases. These are only the reported cases – unreported cases are likely to be much higher, as gaps remain in safety, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms.
Awareness and training are crucial for all stakeholders, as the rights of children are not fully understood even by those responsible for implementing these laws.
To address such gaps, agencies must work together, and awareness programmes must be conducted across departments and schools. The NCPCR has introduced several initiatives, including a focus on children’s mental health, the development of AI tools to combat CSAM, and new strategies to address challenges in implementing child protection legislation.
Major systemic gaps were also identified, including weaknesses in safety, monitoring, reporting, and difficulties in investigating POCSO cases due to a lack of awareness. Issues requiring urgent attention include child trafficking, child labour, drug and substance abuse among children, inadequate monitoring of residential educational institutions, poor implementation of the COTPA Act, and the need for regular school audits and awareness campaigns.
Agencies responsible for implementation must act in earnest, so that workable and practical solutions can be put into place.