New Delhi (NV): An Adhoc Committee of the Rajya Sabha has made around 40 recommendations for prevention of sexual abuse of children and containing access to and transmission of child pornography content on social media.
The report of the Committee was presented by its Chairman Jai Ram Ramesh to Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
Major recommendations given by the committee included legislative and technological measures.
It was Naidu’s initiative to set up such a committee to examine and report on an issue of such a wider social concern is the first of it’s kind and has been widely appreciated.
Amendments to the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and the Information Technology Act, 2000, were made.
Issues regarding technology, institution, social and education measures and state level initiatives to address the alarming issue of pornography on social media and its effects on children and the society as a whole were also addressed.
Noting that the purveyors of child pornography always seem to be one step ahead of the regulators, the committee stressed on the need for implementation of its recommendations as an integrated package of measures and not piece meal to have any value and impact.
The Committee urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the subject of child pornography and the measures required to combat it in one of his forthcoming ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcasts besides taking the lead in building up a global political alliance to combat child pornography on social media like the International Solar Alliance initiative.
The 14-member Committee, set up on December 12 last year, included 7 women members of Rajya Sabha.
The Committee also heard the views of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Electronics and IT and Home Affairs besides NCPCR and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
