Child Protection Committees to Be Set Up in All 5,633 Schools Across Delhi by Month-End, LG, CM Review Child Protection Measures

New Delhi, 6 July 2026: Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting at Raj Niwas to assess the implementation of various programmes, campaigns and safety measures being carried out as part of the ongoing Child Protection Month in July. The meeting reviewed in detail the work being undertaken by the Education Department, Delhi Police and the Department of Women and Child Development to strengthen child safety and directed all departments to complete the assigned tasks effectively within the stipulated timelines.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Commissioner of Police, Secretary (Education), Secretary (Women and Child Development), Directors of the Directorate of Education and the Department of Women and Child Development, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (SPUWAC) and senior officials from various departments. It was noted that during the review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor on June 17, 2026, it had been decided to observe the month of July as Child Protection Month. In line with that decision, the Education Department, Delhi Police and the Department of Women and Child Development are carrying out a wide range of initiatives across the Capital.

The Education Department informed the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister that a comprehensive student safety checklist, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the POCSO Act, is being implemented in all 5,633 schools across Delhi. These include 1,077 Delhi Government schools, 198 government-aided schools, 2,612 MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board schools and 1,746 private schools. The department is also training teachers, school staff and master trainers under the provisions of the POCSO Act. Special arrangements are being made to ensure the safety of children with special needs. In addition, Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellors are conducting awareness sessions for students on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation and personal boundaries. Self-defence training is also being provided to students in schools.

Delhi Police informed the meeting that special initiatives are being undertaken for the safety of schoolchildren, missing children, children visiting parks and sports complexes, homeless children, children living in JJ clusters, children at Bal Bhawan, children in orphanages and those staying in Child Care Institutions. Schools are also conducting awareness and training programmes on the POCSO Act, school safety guidelines, cyber safety, bullying, drug abuse prevention and extracurricular activities. To strengthen monitoring of child safety-related cases, an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police has been designated as the nodal officer in every district and will report to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (SPUWAC).

The Department of Women and Child Development presented its strategy for a large-scale awareness campaign on the POCSO Act, 2012. Under this plan, special awareness programmes will be conducted at Anganwadi-cum-Palna Centres, their linked centres and all Child Care Institutions across Delhi. The campaign will focus on children attending Anganwadi and Palna centres, their parents, children living in Child Care Institutions and the wider community. Videos, mobile awareness vans, printed publicity material and other communication platforms will be used to spread awareness.

During the review, the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister directed that child protection initiatives should not remain limited to the month of July but become a permanent and integral part of the functioning of all institutions. The meeting was informed that Child Protection Committees have already been constituted in all Delhi Government schools in accordance with the POCSO Act. They further directed that similar committees should be constituted in all 5,633 schools across Delhi by the end of July. It was also informed that around 1,000 Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellors are currently creating awareness among students in Delhi Government schools on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation and personal boundaries. Directions were issued to ensure that such counsellors are available in every school across the Capital.

The Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister further directed that the training and capacity building of master trainers as well as other trainers in all schools should be completed during July. Compliance certificates for the student safety checklist should be submitted and a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling POCSO cases should be implemented in every school. Joint inspection teams comprising representatives of parents, the Education Department, the Department of Women and Child Development, Delhi Police and school heads should be constituted to inspect all schools. A large-scale awareness campaign should also be carried out for parents and children through Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), audio-visual media, printed publicity material and other communication platforms. Delhi Police was directed to ensure prompt, effective and coordinated action in every case registered under the POCSO Act. The meeting also directed that first-time juvenile offenders should be provided counselling and rehabilitation to help them reintegrate into society.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that all child protection programmes and activities must be implemented effectively and within the prescribed timelines. She said these efforts should become a permanent feature of every institution rather than remain confined to a month-long campaign, so that every child can grow up in a safe and sensitive environment. She further said that the Delhi Government will ensure timely implementation of every direction through close coordination among all departments. The Government’s objective, she said, is to build a strong and lasting child protection system that provides every child in the Capital with a safe, dignified and secure environment in which to thrive.