What is e-POCSO?

India has witnessed an alarming 94 per cent increase in reported cases of sexual offences against children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between 2017 and 2022, according to the latest “Into the Light Index 2025″ report by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute.

The annual reported incidents surged from 33,210 to 64,469 in the five years, a trajectory the report describes as a “human tragedy of global proportions”.

While the staggering rise in numbers reflects the scale of the crisis, experts suggest it may also indicate improved public awareness and greater institutional capability for reporting. This is supported by the context of India’s robust legal response: the report notes that despite the mounting volume of cases, the country’s prosecution rate remains above 90 per cent. This high rate signals strengthened enforcement mechanisms and diligence by investigative agencies in filing chargesheets.

The proactive legal framework includes the establishment of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including exclusive POCSO Courts (e-POCSO), a centrally sponsored scheme implemented since 2019 to ensure the swift disposal of pending rape and POCSO cases.

What is the POCSO Act?

The POCSO Act of 2012 is a broad-based legislation enacted by the government of India to protect children (under 18 years old) from sexual offenses, which include:

– Sexual assault
– Sexual harassment
– Pornographic exploitation
– Aggravated sexual offenses (where trusted persons, family, police, teacher etc. are involved)

It establishes:

– Child-friendly processes during the investigation and trial
– Mandatory reporting of offenses
– Special courts to ensure speedy trial

What is e-POCSO?

e-POCSO usually refers to digital initiatives to monitor, track, report or train associated with the POCSO Act. The term may be utilized in various contexts by different states or departments, for example:

1. e-POCSO Tracker / Portal:

This is an application or a portal utilized by law enforcement or judiciary to track POCSO cases in order to ensure proper investigation and prompt trials.

It aims to help ensure statutory timelines are issued (i.e. trial should be completed within 1 year).

Example: Some High Courts or State Police departments have put in place e-POCSO case monitoring systems to digitize case tracking.

2. e-POCSO training Modules

This may be an online training or certification process for police officers, teachers, doctors, and judicial officers on matters;

– How to interact with child victims
– Legal provisions under POCSO Act
– Mandated reporting mechanisms

This may be a program developed by governmental bodies or NGOs.

Awareness Platforms:

Web-based activities or instruments for educating children, parents, and teachers around child sexual abuse and how to report it to authorities.

 Key Benefits of e-POCSO Systems:

• It allows cases to be registered and monitored quicker.
• It provides transparency around the care and counseling progress of a case.
• Policies can analyze data for government purposes.
• It centralizes reporting and documentation.
• It gives alerts/reminders so that cases do not slow down for procedural purposes.

Example Initiatives

• National initiatives by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
• State-specific initiatives, e.g. Tamil Nadu e-POCSO tracker, Delhi Police e-POCSO monitoring system, etc.
• Working with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).

Issues:

• Digital literacy in rural officers.
• Implementation in states may not be consistent.
• Need for secure data protection due to the sensitive nature of such cases.