Analysing the implementation of child protection laws in India

There is a lack of comprehensive, data-based analysis concerning judicial information on child labor, child marriage, and crimes against children under the JJ Act. The existing Crime in India report by the NCRB is insufficient since it only provides limited indicators at the state level. Moreover, information regarding specific offenses under these laws, court processing time for cases, victim testimonies, the number of effective hearings, and the factors influencing conviction and acquittal in such cases is not publicly available. Additionally, there is a gap in data regarding the utilization of these laws, who is utilizing them, and for what purposes they are being used.

We are undertaking an exploratory study to generate more evidence on how these special laws are being applied by the judiciary and to understand their effectiveness in advancing children’s rights. For this study we will be analysing the cases registered under these acts across the various districts courts in the country. We will be curating these cases from the e-Courts platform for district courts.

This project is generously funded by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation through the Data and Society Accelerator Program.