- Centre informs the Supreme Court about the nationwide sex education rollout.
- Move follows panel recommendations amidst POCSO Act concerns.
- NCERT to design curriculum, mandatory classes twice weekly.
Sex Education in India: A long-standing hesitation around sex education in India appears to be nearing its end, as the government prepares to make it part of the school curriculum. The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that preparations are underway to introduce sex education in schools across the country, and it will be implemented once the court gives its approval.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati placed this information before the bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan during the hearing.
What Happened In The Apex Court?
The Supreme Court, on Monday, expressed concern over the misuse of the POCSO Act in cases involving consensual romantic relationships between adolescents. The court observed that in several cases, teenagers aged between 16 and 18 years leave home after entering relationships, and their parents, citing false notions of honour, get criminal cases registered against the partner involved.
The Central Government Panel And Its Task:
The central government had earlier formed a 26-member panel, headed by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This panel was tasked with examining issues related to the right to privacy of adolescents involved in consensual sexual relationships, specifically in the context of the POCSO Act and how such cases are currently being handled by law enforcement and courts.
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What The Panel Recommended?
In its report, the panel suggested that comprehensive sex education and topics like child sexual abuse be included in the school curriculum. It also recommended that NCERT should design this curriculum, in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
The report further stated that trained expert teachers should be appointed from the primary school level itself, with mandatory 20-minute classes held twice a week.