Policy Change
Just Rights for Children can only have an enduring impact for generations to come if grassroots work goes hand-in-hand with advocacy to change national laws, systems, and policies to advance child protection and to ensure children receive their rights to public services like quality education and healthcare.
Since Just Rights for Children was initiated, our partnership has used its experience and impact on the ground to advocate politically and legally to effect lasting change for every child across India.
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July 2024
Public Interest Litigation: Support Persons for Survivors of POCSO Cases
In July 2024, the Supreme Court called on states to deliver their responses to appointing support persons for the victims of child sexual abuse. This order came after a petition filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, a JRC partner, requesting the implementation of the 2023 Supreme Court judgment, which made support persons for child victims mandatory. The 2023 judgment itself was another outcome of a petition filed by BBA. States were asked to provide their responses to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights' guidelines for appointing support persons within four weeks.
September 2024
Public Interest Litigation: Online child sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual health and reproductive rights education
In September 2024, following a petition filed by the Just Rights for Children partnership, the Supreme Court of India held that downloading, storing, or viewing child sexual exploitation and abuse material on an electronic device are offenses under the POCSO Act, with no requirement to demonstrate intent to transmit. The ruling also ended the use of the term ‘child pornography’ by the judiciary, to be replaced by ‘child sexual exploitative and abuse material’ or CSEAM, and made a strong recommendation that POCSO should be amended to reflect this. Another positive aspect of the ruling included the recommendation to create a comprehensive health and sex education program for children.
September 2024
Public Interest Litigation: School Safety Guidelines
On September 24, 2024, following a petition made by Just Rights for Children partner, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the Supreme Court ruled that states and UTs must ensure that the Ministry of Education's Guidelines on School Safety and Security are implemented. The School Safety and Security Guidelines intend to protect children from exploitation and abuse, and guarantee their physical, social, psychological and moral well-being, while they are enrolled in school.
October 2024
Public Interest Litigation: Child Marriage
In October 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that India’s child marriage laws must be enforced using a prevention, protection, and prosecution model, as advocated by Just Rights for Children. The landmark judgement also made a recommendation for the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) to be amended to make the standalone act of the betrothal of children illegal. The judgment came as a result of a petition filed by Just Rights for Children partners Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action (SEVA) and activist Nirmal Gorana, who works with India Child Protection.
April 1- October 31
2024
Partnerships with government agencies
So far in 2024, Bachpan Bachao Andolan and India Child Protection, JRC partners, have established or renewed memoranda of understanding with the following government agencies: - Narayanpet District Administration, Telangana - Karnataka State Legal Services Authority - State Legal Services Authority Accreditation, Assam - Department of Public Instruction, Madhya Pradesh - Department for Child Rights, Government of Rajasthan - Telangana Police Cyber Security Bureau
