Jodhpur, 18 September 2026: The Legal Aid and Awareness Committee (LAAC) of National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ), under the aegis of Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur and in collaboration with UNICEF, organised a one-day capacity-building workshop under Project CARE – Child Advocacy through Rights Empowerment on the theme “Strengthening Child-Sensitive Policing: A Capacity-Building Workshop on the Protection of Children in Conflict with Law.” The workshop aimed to strengthen police personnel’s understanding and practical capacity to ensure sensitive, child-friendly, and rights-based treatment of children in conflict with law within the juvenile justice system. Discussions focused on the identification and confidentiality of children, the statutory responsibilities of the police under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Social Investigation Reports, and important aspects of children’s development, vulnerability, and rehabilitation. Experts from various fields participated as resource persons, including Mr. Rajendra Soni, Advocate, Rajasthan High Court; Mr. Ashutosh Srivastav, Child Specialist, UNICEF; Dr. Anjali Thanvi, Assistant Professor, Dr. Siddharth Balani, Assistant Professor, National Law University, Jodhpur; and Dr. Sanjay Nirala, Senior Child Specialist, UNICEF. The workshop comprised three thematic sessions. In the first session, Mr. Ashutosh Srivastav presented practical guidelines on the dos and don’ts for police personnel when dealing with children in conflict with law. The session covered key provisions relating to Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Juvenile Justice Board, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Emphasis was placed on communicating respectfully with children, understanding their emotional state and vulnerabilities, and adopting child-friendly policing practices that avoid fear, coercion, and humiliation. In the second session, Dr. Sanjay Nirala discussed various legal provisions concerning child protection and children’s rights. The session highlighted important provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (PCMA), the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The discussion focused on understanding the legal aspects of child marriage, child and adolescent labour, and child protection, while encouraging a sensitive approach towards children’s rights. The third session, led by Mr. Rajendra Soni, focused on protecting children’s identity and confidentiality at every stage of the juvenile justice process. He discussed the importance of safeguarding children’s privacy, dignity, and identifying information. Alongside the theoretical discussions, the workshop also featured case studies and practical discussions, during which participants explored the application of the knowledge gained through real-life juvenile justice scenarios. On this occasion, the book titled “Child-Centred Policing” was also released. The concluding session included closing remarks, feedback from participants, and a vote of thanks.
