Government puts in place framework to tackle online child sexual abuse

New Delhi: The government has put in place a comprehensive and coordinated institutional framework to prevent, detect and combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, the Women and Child Development Ministry told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The government has launched the 'Sahyog' portal to expedite notices to IT intermediaries for removal or disabling of access to unlawful online content, including Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Material (CSEAM).

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"The Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have, within their respective statutory domains, put in place a comprehensive and coordinated institutional framework to prevent, detect and combat the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children," Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said in response to a question.

"These policies of the government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted, and accountable internet for its users, including women and children in the digital space," Thakur said.

The minister said the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 provides for safeguarding children against sexual offences, including online sexual abuse, while the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 further strengthen the legal framework.

"The government has further strengthened the regulatory framework through amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 to address harms arising from synthetically generated information (SGI), including deepfakes and AI-generated content, requiring intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receipt of an order of a competent court or a reasoned intimation from the Appropriate Government or its authorised agency," Thakur said.

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The minister said the government is implementing a project on 'Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA)' for generating human resources in information security and creating general awareness on various aspects of cyber hygiene and cyber security among the masses.

"So far, 6,650 awareness workshops have been conducted across the country covering 11.37 lakh-plus participants, including school/colleges students, teachers, law enforcement, government personnel and general public," she said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for reporting cybercrime complaints, with special focus on crimes against children, and has set up the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to deal with cybercrimes in a coordinated manner.

The minister said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also coordinates with I4C and MeitY to address Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (OCSAE) and conducts awareness programmes on child rights, including school safety, cyber safety and the POCSO Act.

"The NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) has developed and periodically updated guidance documents, including Being Safe Online (2017), the Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools (updated in 2020-21) and the Guidelines on Preventing Cyber Bullying for School Children (2024), to promote digital safety, prevent cyber bullying and enhance awareness among children, parents, teachers and other stakeholders," she added.