Gauhati HC Seeks Status Report on Assam’s Draft Child Protection Policy

The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam Government to provide an update on the progress of the Draft Rules and Child Protection Policy, including issuing related notifications, filling vacancies, and the status of social audits.

The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury while hearing public interest litigation (PIL/60/2019), reports said. The bench noted that during the next hearing, scheduled for February 25, 2025, it would also review infrastructure issues affecting the Juvenile Justice Board’s operations and the condition of Children’s Homes across the state.

The Senior Government Advocate informed the Court that the Draft Child Protection Policy and the Draft Assam State Juvenile Justice Rules, 2024, have been uploaded on the Cabinet portal and sent to the Judicial, School Education, and Finance Departments for their final feedback. It was also stated that the Child Protection Policy is expected to be presented before the Cabinet during its next session.

Steps are being taken to incorporate the Supreme Court’s directions from its August 20, 2024, order in Suo Moto WP(C) 3/2023 into the Draft Juvenile Justice Rules. However, the Advocate highlighted that finalizing and notifying these rules and policies, as well as completing appointments after the selection process, would require more time.

Additionally, the Court was informed that the Assam Government plans to address the backlog of cases before the Juvenile Justice Boards by increasing the sittings of certain boards, depending on the necessity. Welcoming this proposal, the Court suggested the government submit its recommendations regarding the rescheduling of sittings to allow stakeholders to review the changes.