Jharkhand Strengthens Child Protection: Two-Day Training Program for POCSO Support Persons Concludes in Ranchi
RANCHI: In a major move to reinforce child protection frameworks, the Government of Jharkhand is establishing a dedicated panel of support persons across all 24 districts to assist victims of sexual offences and their families. As part of this initiative, a two-day induction training program for the first batch of support persons concluded successfully at SIRD, Ranchi on October 15, 2026. The extensive workshop was organized by the Jharkhand State Child Protection Society (JSCPS) in collaboration with UNICEF Jharkhand and the Centre for Child Rights at NUSRL, Ranchi. The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance the capacity and understanding of the participants regarding the legal provisions of the POCSO Act, 2012 and POCSO Rules, 2020, outlining their critical roles in providing child-friendly assistance.
Throughout the program, key sessions focused on the psychological impact of child sexual abuse, police investigations, medical examinations, and judicial proceedings. Special emphasis was placed on maintaining strict confidentiality, professional documentation, long-term follow-up care, and building seamless coordination with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), police, and mental health professionals to ensure timely referrals. The core training modules combined real-world case studies, group exercises, and interactive dialogues to prepare the support persons for practical field challenges.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Vandana Shejwalkar, Deputy Secretary of JSCPS, highlighted that a support person acts as a vital link between the victim’s family and essential services. She stated that their role goes beyond emotional care, requiring effective inter-departmental coordination to ensure that every child receives dignified, child-friendly support. She further emphasized that the state must build a system where no child is ever deprived of their rights due to a lack of information or resources.
The training sessions were led by prominent experts including Ms. Khushi Kushalappa from Enfold Trust, Smt. Preeti Srivastava, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Jharkhand, Prof. (Dr.) K. Shyamala from NUSRL, Mr. Gaurav, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF Jharkhand, Dr. Tabrez, and Mr. Narendra Sharma. Concluding the event, Smt. Preeti Srivastava shared a real-life case study to emphasize the profound impact of timely guidance and coordinated institutional intervention. She noted that swift, collective institutional efforts and empathetic handling are absolute necessities to prevent further trauma to affected families.
With the panel formation currently underway across all 24 districts, Jharkhand is taking a definitive step toward making its child protection ecosystem highly sensitive, coordinated, and robust under the POCSO framework. This centralized initiative will ensure that affected children and their families are seamlessly connected to necessary legal, medical, and psychological services. The successful completion of this first training batch marks the beginning of a stronger, more accountable support structure for vulnerable children across the state.
