Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act
| Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of India | |
| |
| Citation | Act No. 32 of 2012 |
| Territorial extent | whole of India |
| Passed by | Rajya Sabha |
| Passed | 10 May 2012 |
| Passed by | Lok Sabha |
| Passed | 22 May 2012 |
| Assented to by | President Pratibha Patil |
| Assented to | 19 June 2012 |
| Commenced | 14 November 2012 |
| Legislative history | |
| Initiating chamber: Rajya Sabha | |
| Bill title | Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011 |
| Bill citation | Bill No. XIV of 2011 |
| Introduced by | Krishna Tirath, MoS(IC) Women and Child Development |
| Introduced | 23 March 2011 |
| Standing Committee on Human Resource Development | 29 March 2011–21 December 2011 |
| Passed | 10 May 2012 |
| Revising chamber: Lok Sabha | |
| Passed | 22 May 2012 |
| Amended by | |
| |
| Status: In force | |
legislature, enacted_by.The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 is a legislation in India aimed at preventing and prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse. The Parliament of India passed the POCSO bill on 22 May 2012. The POCSO Rules, formulated by the government in accordance with the law has also been notified on November 2012.
The objective of the Act is to provide a robust legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography, while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process. The Act has provisions for child-friendly processes for reporting, recording of evidence and investigation, and also for speedy trial of cases through designated Special Courts.
Protection of children by the state is guaranteed to Indian citizens by an expansive reading of Article 21 of the Indian constitution,. India has also been a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Demand for stringent laws for dealing with child sexual abuse is frequently made in India.