The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) convened a meeting in New Delhi to assess how states are implementing its model guidelines aimed at providing emotional and psychological support for child victims during legal proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The review followed a Supreme Court order mandating all states and Union Territories adopt these guidelines, which were developed after rulings in the “We the Women of India v. Union of India” and “Bachpan Bachao Andolan v. Union of India” cases.
NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo emphasized the importance of offering structured support to child victims of sexual abuse, noting that the presence of designated support persons is essential for the victims’ rehabilitation. He urged states to ensure an adequate number of support persons based on the number of pending cases and called for their details to be uploaded to the NCPCR’s “POCSO Tracking Portal” for transparency and better monitoring.
State representatives from 24 regions participated in the conclave, held at Vigyan Bhawan. NCPCR members Preeti Bharadwaj Dalal and Divya Gupta reinforced the need for thorough implementation of the guidelines in all districts. The session also included discussions where state officials shared suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness of the guidelines.
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