India's commitment to child rights, stemming from international conventions, led to the realization that existing laws were insufficient to tackle child sexual abuse. The POCSO Act was a landmark step to create a child-centric legal framework, which continues to evolve with new challenges like online exploitation.

• 1992India ratifies UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
• Pre-2012Child sexual abuse cases primarily dealt with under Indian Penal Code (IPC) - found inadequate.
• 2012Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 enacted.
• 2019POCSO Act amended to introduce more stringent punishments, including death penalty for aggravated sexual assault.
• 2025-26Economic Survey 2025-26 recommends age-based limits for social media usage and digital ads targeting children, citing concerns about exposure to harmful content including sexual material.
• March 2026Karnataka (under 16) and Andhra Pradesh (under 13) announce state-level social media bans for children, citing concerns about exposure to harmful material, including violent and sexual content.
• March 2026French President Emmanuel Macron urges India to consider banning social media for children, highlighting global push to protect children against digital abuse, including online grooming and sexual content.

India's commitment to child rights, stemming from international conventions, led to the realization that existing laws were insufficient to tackle child sexual abuse. The POCSO Act was a landmark step to create a child-centric legal framework, which continues to evolve with new challenges like online exploitation.

• 1992India ratifies UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
• Pre-2012Child sexual abuse cases primarily dealt with under Indian Penal Code (IPC) - found inadequate.
• 2012Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 enacted.
• 2019POCSO Act amended to introduce more stringent punishments, including death penalty for aggravated sexual assault.
• 2025-26Economic Survey 2025-26 recommends age-based limits for social media usage and digital ads targeting children, citing concerns about exposure to harmful content including sexual material.
• March 2026Karnataka (under 16) and Andhra Pradesh (under 13) announce state-level social media bans for children, citing concerns about exposure to harmful material, including violent and sexual content.
• March 2026French President Emmanuel Macron urges India to consider banning social media for children, highlighting global push to protect children against digital abuse, including online grooming and sexual content.