POCSO & Child Safety in India | UPSC GS-2 | UPSCPDF

UPSCPDF Editorial Analysis: why child sexual abuse stays under-reported in India, the POCSO framework, court pendency and conviction gaps, and the trauma-informed, evidence-based reforms needed. UPSC GS-1/GS-2 guide with MCQs, Mains, Essay, Interview.

💡 Key Takeaways | 🔎 Why Abuse Goes Unreported | 🕰️ Evolution of the Legal Framework | ⚙️ Systemic Bottlenecks | 📜 The POCSO Act, 2012 — Key Features | ⚖️ Constitutional & International Anchors | 🏢 Schemes & Institutions | 🧷 The Death-Penalty Debate | 🌍 What Works Elsewhere | 🛤️ The Way Forward | 📊 Marks Distribution Strategy | 📝 Model Answer | 🧩 Key Dimensions | 🧩 Related Practice Questions | 🧭 Quick Framing Angles

Why child sexual abuse stays under-reported in India — distrust, delay and systemic gaps — and the trauma-informed, evidence-based reforms needed to keep children safe A June 2026 editorial examines the persistent under-reporting of child sexual abuse (CSA) in India and the systemic inefficiencies in the state’s response. A recent 2026 case in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), in which a charge sheet was filed, renewed public attention — but the editorial cautions that swift action in a single case is no substitute for systemic reform. Its core argument: the overwhelming majority of abuse is by people known to the child, making reporting socially fraught; distrust of the police and slow, uncertain justice (very high court pendency, low conviction rates) deter reporting; repeatedly raising penalties — as in the 2018–19 amendments — is a reactive reflex that can suppress reporting where the offender is a family member, without addressing root causes; and