NEW DELHI: The Juvenile Justice Committee, Supreme Court of India is organising the 10th National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on ‘Safeguarding the Girl Child : Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India’ on October 11-12, 2025.
The National Consultation marks the culmination of several State Consultations that have taken place across the country.
The Supreme Court has been conducting the National Stakeholder Consultations on an annual basis, convening all key stakeholders to drive stronger coordination between justice, social welfare, and community systems for protecting and advancing the rights of every child in the country.
Organized under the aegis of the Supreme Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee led by Justice B V Nagarathna, Chairperson Juvenile Justice Committee and Judge Supreme Court of India and Justice J. B. Pardiwala, Member Juvenile Justice Committee and Judge Supreme Court of India, this year’s Consultation coincides with the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11th.
The National Consultation, being organised in association with UNICEF India, reaffirms India’s collective commitment to ensuring that every girl grows up safe, healthy, educated and empowered.
Chief Justice of India, Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai will deliver the inaugural address at the National Consultation. Smt Annpurna Devi, Minister of Women and Child Development; Mrs Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Committee and Judge, Supreme Court of India; and Ms Cynthia McCaffrey, Country Representative UNICEF India will also be addressing the inaugural session.
A ‘Handbook on Child Rights and the Law’ will be released by Justice J. B. Pardiwala, Member Juvenile Justice Committee, Supreme Court of India.
According to an official statement, over the two days, the Consultation will deliberate on strengthened measures towards preventing violence against girls, ensuring timely justice for survivors, and expanding access to education, healthcare, and social protection.
First session of the Consultation would focus on Right to be Born, Nurtured and Educated, followed by the Second session on Safeguarding the Girl Child from Cyber Crimes.
The Third session seeks to emphasise Protection of the Girl Child from Abuse, Exploitation and Violence and will also include sharing of best practices from the States with regard to Trafficking of Girl Child: Prevention, Challenges and Effective Interventions; Child Marriage and Violence against Girl Child. A Session on the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 scheduled on 12th October, 2025 will discuss the challenges and explore ways to strengthen the implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act followed by the Closing session that would focus on the learnings from the Consultation and the way forward.
The Chairpersons of Juvenile Justice Committee/ POCSO Committee and other Judge Members of the Juvenile Justice Committee/POCSO Committee of High Courts will be participating in the two-day Consultation.
The two- day Consultation will also be attended by representatives from Women & Child Development/ Social Welfare Department, Department of Health and Department of school education from every State and Union Territory among others.
Member Secretaries from the State Legal Services Authority and ADGP officers dealing with Crimes related to Women and Children among other Stakeholders will be participating in the Consultation. The Concluding Session will include the active participation from Secretaries from Ministry of Women And Child Development; Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, Government of India.
The Annual Stakeholders Consultation in 2024, had witnessed discussions centered on enhancing protection for children with disabilities, leading to state-level actions such as reasonable accommodation measures and improved monitoring of residential care facilities. In 2023, the Consultation focused on improving services for Children in Conflict with the Law, in line with India’s child-centric justice framework.
Reinforcing the shared commitment of the judiciary, government, and civil society, this year’s Consultation underscores that protecting and empowering every girl is a national priority and key to India’s inclusive growth, the official said.
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