Centre For Child Rights, NUSRL Ranchi -Call For Blogs On Reimagining Child-Centric Justice

The CCR Blog is a platform for rigorous debate, critical engagement, and dissemination of innovative perspectives in the field of child rights—an area of law often underexplored in mainstream legal discourse. With a vision to become a Centre of Excellence for child protection and child rights, CCR undertakes research, training, policy advocacy, and field engagement to address systemic gaps and catalyse meaningful reform.

THEME OVERVIEW & IDENTIFIED LACUNAE:

Despite progressive legislative frameworks like the JJ Act and POCSO, implementation on the ground remains riddled with systemic challenges and inconsistencies. Authors are encouraged to respond to this gap between law in books and law in action, and examine structural, procedural, and jurisprudential issues that hinder child-centric justice in India.

Submissions may engage with (but are not limited to) the following lacunae:

1. Implementation Gaps and Institutional Weaknesses

• Lack of trained personnel in Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs)
• Non-uniform application of child-friendly procedures in courts and police stations
• Delay in case disposal and under-utilization of Special Courts under POCSO
• Shortage of Observation Homes, inadequate infrastructure, and poor monitoring of child care institutions

2. Procedural & Investigative Challenges

• Invasive, insensitive investigation procedures retraumatizing child survivors
• Inconsistent application of child victim protection measures (e.g., presence of support persons)
• Overreliance on hostile witness testimony due to lack of corroborative mechanisms
• Absence of standard protocols for interviewing children in legal settings

3. Rehabilitation and Reintegration Deficits

• Poor quality of aftercare homes and vocational rehabilitation programs for juveniles
• Lack of coordinated inter-agency frameworks between CWC, JJB, NGOs, and other stakeholders
• Invisibility of mental health support and trauma-informed care in JJ/POCSO processes

4. Substantive Legal & Policy Ambiguities

• Ambiguity in definitions (e.g., “sexual intent” under POCSO) leading to inconsistent judicial interpretation
• Overcriminalization and misuse of POCSO in consensual adolescent relationships
• Confusion over the age of juvenility and medical age determination
• Lack of clarity in the overlap between JJ Act, POCSO Act, and IPC provisions

5. Gender, Caste, and Disability Intersectionality

• Inadequate recognition of the unique vulnerabilities of children from Dalit, Adivasi, or minority backgrounds
• Absence of specific protections for children with disabilities in conflict with or in need of care and protection
• Gender-insensitive provisions and procedures affecting male survivors and non-binary children

6. Technology, Digital Abuse, and the Evolving Nature of Crime

• Growing threats of online child sexual abuse and lack of preparedness among enforcement agencies
• Gaps in the existing laws to regulate AI-generated child sexual abuse materials and cyber grooming
• Lack of digital literacy among children and guardians in rural and underserved communities

Submission Deadline: November 15, 2025, 11:59 PM

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Theme: Issues relating to Child Rights, Juvenile Justice, POCSO, and their intersection with constitutional and international human rights frameworks
• Word Count: 1000–1500 words
• Co-authorship: Permitted up to 2 authors
• Formatting: Times New Roman | Font Size: 12 | Line Spacing: 1.5
• Citations: Prefer hyperlinks; otherwise use Bluebook 21st Edition as endnotes
• Originality:

Ø Submissions must be unpublished and original.

Ø Plagiarism should not exceed 15%

Ø Submissions found to be AI-generated in substantial part, or lacking original thought, will be rejected.

• Anonymous Review: Manuscript must not contain author's name or institutional affiliation
• File Type: Submit as a Word document (.doc or .docx)
• IP Policy: Upon acceptance, CCR retains the copyright. Re-posting requires prior permission and attribution.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

All submissions must be made via the following form:

https://forms.gle/pKBLmcWqvUVBnA597 (Submit your Manuscript here)

CONTACT:

For queries or clarifications, write to us at ccr.committee@nusrlranchi.ac.in

or

Abhishek Datta - +91 9987072303

Stuti Raj - +91 7903176406

By participating, you contribute to a growing body of critical legal thought that empowers vulnerable children, critiques systemic flaws, and pushes for meaningful reform.

For more information, participants may refer to the attached brochure