The Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court of India will organize a two day National Annual Stakeholders Consultation titled “Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India” on 11 to 12 October 2025. The event is being held in association with UNICEF India and marks the culmination of several state level consultations held earlier this year.
Who’s Leading It & Key Participants
- The consultation is under the aegis of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee, chaired by Honorable Justice B. V. Nagarathna, with Honorable Justice J. B. Pardiwala as a member.
- The Chief Justice of India, B. R. Gavai, will inaugurate the event. Also addressing the inaugural session will be the Minister of Women & Child Development, Annpurna Devi, UNICEF’s Country Representative Cynthia McCaffrey, and other judicial, government, and civil society leaders.
Themes & Agenda
Over the two days, the consultation will cover a range of key topics, including:
- Right to be Born, Nurtured, and Educated discussing early childhood protection, nutritional and educational access.
- Safeguarding the Girl Child from Cyber Crimes exploring how girls are particularly vulnerable in digital spaces, including cyberbullying, data misuse, and harassment.
- Protection from Abuse, Exploitation, and Violence covering child marriage, trafficking, and best practices for prevention and intervention.
- Implementation of POCSO Act (2012) discussing challenges and ways to make the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act more effective.
- Closing sessions will aim to synthesize learning and chart out the way forward.
Larger Context & Importance
- This is the 10th National Annual Stakeholders Consultation by the Supreme Court.
- The timing aligns with the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), underlining its importance.
- It aims to bring together legal, Welfare, Educational, Healthcare and law enforcement systems to improve coordination in safeguarding girls across the country. State Secretaries, ADGPs (Additional Director General of Police), officials from Women & Child Development, Health, and Education departments are part of the stakeholder list.
Challenges & Key Focus Areas Highlighted
- Experts point out that legal safeguards already exist (like POCSO, Juvenile Justice Act, Child Marriage Act), but the challenge is implementation, speedy justice, and protection at the grassroots.
- New vulnerabilities have emerged in the digital sphere cyber abuse, misuse of data, identity theft, etc. The consultation will assess how authorities can ensure laws keep pace with technology.
- State wise best practices will be shared, especially with respect to preventing trafficking, child marriage, and ensuring safe schooling.
