10-March-2023
A Consultation was organized on ‘ A DECADE OF POCSO ACT’, by Prayas
Prayas Institute of Juvenile Justice organized a discussion on 'A DECADE OF POCSO ACT': Interplay of POCSO with Substantial Criminal Law & other special Legislation. This was a discourse on Origin, Evolution Gaps & Challenges. It reflected the role of Prayas.
POCSO Consultation event was started with a brief introduction about the participants & the Panelists followed by playing the documentary of Prayas JAC. We have on dice, our key note speaker Mr. S. K Gautam, Special Commissioner of Police, Special Unit for Women and children (SPUWAC), Dr. Kiran Aggarwal, Pediatrician, Ravi Kant, Head of KSCF (US) India Head, Mohammad Salam Khan, Consultant, DCPCR, Dr. Sandeep Chatterjee, Registrar of NIEPA, Shri Pradeep Sharma – Project Director-Project CACA and Dr. Sunita Reddy, Associate Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
It was wonderful, discussing on the origin of POCSO, its evolution gaps & challenges. The consultation also focused on Empowering Children against Child Sexual Abuse and creating safer spaces (awareness through formal education for including concerned learning materials in school/college syllabus).
Mr. Amod K. Kanth enlightened the gathering about the National Study on Child Abuse carried out by Prayas as the India's chapter of the UN Study on Global Violence Against Children on behalf of the Ministry of Women & Child Development. He spoke about evolution of POCSO and role of Prayas in the same. He further discussed in detail about findings of National Family Health Survey ( NHFS 5 ) Report 2019-21 which mentions about nearly 31% child marriages in India, accounting for nearly 6 crore male child marriages' as presented in the Parliamentary Standing Committee. Criminalizing the child marriage and invoking POCSO provisions with retrospective effect shall criminalize Lacs of citizens and devastate all affected families. In February 2023, in Assam more than 4100 FIRs are registered and about 2700 people got arrested in the state which is an example of a larger agenda of the government. Bihar along with Bengal and Tripura has the highest rate of Child Marriage, over 40% of them. In India, overall, 23% marriages are infact Child Marriage however, in the year 2021 in the whole country only 1005 FIRs were registered under this Act in entire country. 40% marriages happen in the restricted age group. Implementation of the Act remains a big concern.
Second issue which Mr. Kanth discussed POCSO cases as a gender specific approach of the system. In sexual exploration cases among minors, it is the boy who comes in conflict with the law and at the same time the girls land up on Child care institution if she does not go back to her family.
Mr. S.K Gautam, Special Commissioner of Police, Special Unit for Women and Children quoted a sentence “Knowledge is more important than them Execution of Law”. Considering the point of view from a child's perspective should be taken into consideration before implementing any law.
Dr. Sandeep Chatterjee, Registrar, NIEPA said that a secured portal should be introduced for the children where they can express their problems and conditions. It was also discussed that certain hormonal changes at different stages of Puberty tend to influence decisions of a child.
It was a wonderful meeting our key note speaker Mr. S. K Gautam, Special Commissioner of Police, Special Unit for Women and children (SPUWAC), Dr. Kiran Aggarwal, Pediatrician, Ravi Kant, Head of KSCF
(US) India Head, Mohammad Salam Khan, Consultant, DCPCR, Dr. Sandeep Chatterjee, Registrar of NIEPA, Shri Pradeep Sharma – Project Director-Project CACA and Dr. Sunita Reddy, Associate Professor, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
