**Executive Summary**
This report outlines the administrative framework for the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as presented in the Rajya Sabha on April 1, 2026. It clarifies the roles of statutory bodies and the primary responsibility of State and UT governments in ensuring child safety through the Mission Vatsalya Scheme. The document emphasizes ongoing monitoring, inspection protocols, and the enforcement of rehabilitation standards for child care institutions.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Statutory Framework and Administration**
* The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) serves as the nodal ministry for the administration of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015.
* The JJ Act provides for the establishment of State Child Protection Societies, Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs).
* Primary responsibility for implementing the Act lies with State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.
**Roles and Responsibilities**
* **Child Welfare Committees (CWCs):** Empowered under Sections 27-30 to make decisions regarding children in need of care and protection and monitor Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
* **Commissions for Protection of Child Rights:** National and State-level commissions are mandated by Section 109 to monitor the Act’s implementation.
* **District Magistrates (DMs):** Act as the nodal authority at the district level to review service delivery and take action on findings from Inspection Committees.
**Monitoring and Enforcement**
* **Inspection Committees:** Mandated under Section 54 to visit facilities housing children and report findings to the DM.
* **Mission Vatsalya Scheme:** A framework through which the Ministry follows up with States/UTs to ensure effective service delivery via DCPUs under DM supervision.
* **Regulatory Penalties:** Under Section 41, States and UTs have the authority to cancel or withhold the registration of CCIs that fail to provide rehabilitation and reintegration services.
**Ministry Initiatives**
* The MWCD regularly issues guidelines and advisories to strengthen the Mission Vatsalya Scheme.
* The Ministry conducts zonal conferences and sensitization workshops to promote effective implementation of child protection schemes.
**Impact Analysis**
**State and UT Administrations**
**Impact**
They are legally designated as the primary implementers of the JJ Act and the Mission Vatsalya Scheme, carrying the burden of statutory compliance and institutional oversight.
**Action Required**
Must actively monitor CCIs, follow Ministry advisories, and exercise legal powers to cancel registrations of non-compliant institutions.
**District Magistrates (DMs)**
**Impact**
DMs are the central figures for district-level accountability, overseeing the DCPU and responding to inspection reports.
**Action Required**
Must ensure regular review and monitoring of service delivery institutions and take corrective actions based on Inspection Committee reports.
**Child Welfare Committees (CWCs)**
**Impact**
As decision-making bodies, they directly influence the welfare and legal status of children in need of care.
**Action Required**
Must prioritize the "best interest of the child" in all decisions and maintain strict monitoring of CCI functions.
**Child Care Institutions (CCIs)**
**Impact**
These institutions are subject to rigorous registration requirements and mandatory inspections under the Act.
**Action Required**
Must provide specific rehabilitation and reintegration services as per Section 53 to avoid the withholding or cancellation of their registration.
Key Entities Referenced
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: The primary legislation governing the safety, security, and well-being of children, establishing statutory structures for their protection.
Mission Vatsalya: A central scheme designed to ensure the effective implementation of child protection services and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Child Welfare Committees (CWCs): Statutory bodies empowered under the JJ Act to make decisions for children in need of care and protection and monitor Child Care Institutions.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: The nodal ministry responsible for the administration of the Juvenile Justice Act and the implementation of Mission Vatsalya.
District Magistrate: The nodal authority at the district level responsible for supervising child protection units and taking action based on inspection reports.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Ministry of Women and Child Development is
nodal Ministry for administration of Juvenile
Justice Act, 2015
Under the Act, Child Welfare Committees have been
empowered to take decisions with regard to children in need
of care and protection
Posted On: 01 APR 2026 12:37PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the administration of Juvenile
Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) which is the primary legislation for
ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children and is implemented by the States and UTs.
The Act creates statutory structures at the State and District levels which include State Child Protection
Society, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), District Child Protection Units. It
also provides for establishment of Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
Under the JJ Act 2015 (Sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) have been empowered
to take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection, keeping their best interest in
mind. They are also mandated to monitor the function of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs). At the
national and state level, the JJ Act provides the National/State Commissions for Protection of Child
Rights to monitor the implementation of the Act (Section 109). Further, as per Section 106 of the JJ Act
2015, the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Act lies with the State Governments and
Union Territory (UT) Administrations.
Inspection Committees are mandated under section 54 of JJ Act, 2015 to visit such facilities housing
children. District Magistrate is the nodal authority in the district for children in need of care and
protection and to take action on the findings of the report submitted by the Inspection Committees. The
Ministry regularly follows up with the State and Union Territory Governments and various advisories
have been issued so as to ensure the effective implementation of Mission Vatsalya Scheme.
Under Mission Vatsalya, the District Child Protection Unit functions under the overall supervision of
District Magistrate to ensure review, monitoring and inspection of the service delivery institutions i.e.
Child Care Institutions and the care provided.
Section 41 of the JJ Act, 2015 empowers States and UT Governments to cancel or withhold registration
of Child Care Institutions which fail to provide rehabilitation and reintegration services as specified in
section 53 of the Act.
The Ministry has issued various guidelines and advisories from time to time for strengthening
implementation of Mission Vatsalya by the States and UTs. The Ministry also regularly engages with the
States and UTs with regards to implementation of the scheme. It has been holding zonal conferences andsensitization/ dissemination workshops since launch of Mission Vatsalya Scheme to promote and
implement the scheme effectively.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri
Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.
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SS
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