The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has to address the challenges faced by children in…

Question

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has to address the challenges faced by children in the digital era. Examine the existing policies and suggest measures the Commission can initiate to tackle the issue.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Existing laws such as IT Act Section 67B, POCSO and the DPDP Act punish online abuse and require parental consent, but prevention, platform design and coordination remain weak. NCPCR can use its Section 13 and 14 powers to draft a child online safety code and audit platforms.

**Introduction**

NCRB data show cybercrimes against children rose 32% between 2021 and 2022. The NCPCR, created under the CPCR Act, 2005, must carry the Article 39(f) promise of protection against exploitation into the online world.

**Existing Policies and Their Gaps**

SKETCH: fishbone | Children's Digital-Era Risks
effect: Unsafe childhood online
- Abuse material, grooming
- Cyberbullying
- Data profiling
- Gaming addiction
- Deepfakes
- Sharenting

1. **Criminal law core**: IT Act Section 67B and POCSO punish abuse material, and Just Rights for Children Alliance (2024) held that even possessing it without reporting can be an offence, but cyberbullying has no specific offence.
2. **Data protection**: Section 9 of the DPDP Act, 2023 mandates parental consent and bars tracking of children, though age verification is unsolved.
3. **Platform duties**: IT Rules, 2021 and the Online Gaming Act, 2025 exist, but there is no safety-by-design code.

**Measures the NCPCR Can Initiate**

1. **Child online safety code**: Under Section 13, it can draft age-appropriate design standards with MeitY.
2. **Inquiries and audits**: With civil-court powers under Section 14, it can take suo motu notice of harmful apps.
3. **Digital literacy**: With NCERT and State Commissions, it can run cyber-safety modules for pupils and parents.
4. **Single reporting pathway**: It can link the POCSO e-box, the cybercrime portal and Childline 1098.

**Way Forward**

1. **Dedicated law**: A child online safety law should create a regulator, as the UK's Online Safety Act, 2023 does.
2. **Capacity building**: The Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children scheme should fund trained district cyber cells.

**Conclusion**

Children's online safety rests on strong criminal law but weak prevention. An NCPCR that sets standards, audits platforms and builds digital literacy can make the internet a space of opportunity, not exploitation, for India's children.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has to address the challenges faced by children in the digital era. Examine the existing policies and suggest measures the Commission can initiate to tackle the issue.

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