NCPCR Reviews Implementation of Child Support Guidelines under POCSO Act

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) conducted a meeting in New Delhi to assess the implementation of guidelines that provide emotional and psychological support to child victims during legal proceedings under the POCSO Act, 2012. Representatives from 24 states and Union Territories attended the event, emphasizing the need for effective and transparent monitoring.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) convened in New Delhi to evaluate the enforcement of its model guidelines designed to offer emotional and psychological support for child victims during legal proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Attendees included representatives from 24 states and Union Territories, who gathered at Vigyan Bhawan as directed by a Supreme Court order, which mandates the adoption of these guidelines for Support Persons.

Formulated in response to the Supreme Court's rulings in ''We the Women of India v. Union of India'' and ''Bachpan Bachao Andolan v. Union of India,'' the guidelines aim to ensure victims receive essential emotional and psychological support during legal proceedings.

The Supreme Court's directive from July 30, 2024, instructed all states and Union Territories to implement these guidelines and update the NCPCR on their progress.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo emphasized the importance of timely and structured support for child victims through empanelled Support Persons, underscoring the need for each state to maintain an adequate number of support persons proportional to pending child abuse cases.

Kanoongo also advocated for states to upload the details of Support Persons on the NCPCR's ''POCSO Tracking Portal'' for transparency and effective monitoring.

Other NCPCR members, including Preeti Bharadwaj Dalal and Divya Gupta, stressed the necessity of thorough implementation of the guidelines across all districts.

The session concluded with an open dialogue, allowing state representatives to share suggestions for improving the guidelines' implementation.

(With inputs from agencies.)