Juvenile justice, child labour and welfare among top NCPCR complaint list in 2024: Govt report

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) received nearly 1 lakh complaints between April and December 2024, with the highest number concerning juvenile justice and the care of neglected, marginalised, or differently-abled children.

The complaints regarding child labour and children in distress totalled nearly 20,000 cases. By 2024-end, 19,645 were pending.

According to the latest annual report of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, issues such as inadequate rehabilitation services, poor conditions in child care institutions, and lack of support for children with disabilities were most reported issues.


The largest category of complaints were related to juvenile justice and care of neglected, marginalised or differently-abled children, with over 39,500 cases registered. Out of these, 18,954 were resolved by 2024 end.

NCPCR, the apex child rights body, also received complaints about inadequate rehabilitation services, poor conditions in child care institutions, and limited support for children with disabilities.

Child health, care, and development issues formed another significant category, with more than 18,500 complaints. Education-related grievances accounted for over 8,200 cases.

Under the POCSO Act and other children-related laws, more than 6,800 complaints were filed, covering cases of sexual abuse, exploitation and violations of child protection laws.

Other areas of concern included social audit and legal matters affecting children(3,400 cases), child psychology and sociology (280 cases), and the Anti-Child Trafficking Cell received 46 complaints, primarily involving suspected trafficking cases.