National Alliance Against Online Child Sexual Abuse, Exploitation 

The Union Ministry of Women & Child Development has announced an initiative to form a National Alliance against Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation with the aim of developing a comprehensive outreach system to engage parents, schools, communities, NGO partners and local governments (PRIs and ULBs) as well as police and lawyers to ensure better implementation of the legal framework, policies, national strategies and standards in relation to child protection and child rights.

Even though India has a comprehensive legal framework for protection of child rights in the form of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, POCSO Act, 2012, along with RTE Act 2009 and recently amended Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2106, there is limited awareness of online risks for children, both among parents and guardian and children themselves. Hence, to ensure protection of children from online sexual abuse, all stakeholders must work together.

In this context, the National Alliance on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation will strive to: Bring a common definition of child pornography including amendment of acts (Information technology Act, POCSO Act); Set up a multi-member secretariat based in MWCD with a portal inclusive of a hotline for reporting and strengthening existing service delivery systems; Provide a platform for Government/ NGOs and other child rights activists for networking and information sharing; and document and showcases success stories and best practices in terms of prevention of online abuse and exploitation of children etc.