Karnataka Child Protection Circular Mandates Girls’ Health Check-ups and POCSO Awareness in 2026

The news

The Karnataka government has issued a joint circular mandating a series of child-protection measures across all schools, colleges, hostels, residential schools and training institutions in the State. The measures, which bring multiple departments together, include mandatory gynaecological check-ups for all girls in schools, the provision of sex education, and awareness programmes on child rights, teenage pregnancy, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, child marriage and the Child Helpline (1098). The circular also makes the installation of CCTV cameras compulsory in all schools and colleges.

The circular is a culmination of measures initiated in June 2025 over concerns about rising cases of child marriage and teenage pregnancy in the State. It directs the formation of Child Protection Committees comprising parents, children and teachers, which must meet once every three months and record their proceedings. Schools and residential schools must install complaint boxes. Schools and Pre-University colleges must appoint qualified counsellors to address the mental health and other challenges of adolescent students. The circular warns that failure to prevent, or negligence in addressing, cases of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and incidents under the POCSO Act will result in legal action and disciplinary proceedings against the officials concerned.

Under the circular, if a girl student in a school or residential school remains absent for more than three days without notification, the principal must inform the gram panchayat and the Child Helpline in writing. Teachers are directed to persuade parents to re-enrol girls who have dropped out and ensure they continue their education until the age of 18. The Health Department has stated that appropriate legal action must be taken against shops selling abortion pills without a doctor’s prescription, as well as against doctors and members of the public involved in unauthorised abortion activities. The guidelines also emphasise raising awareness among children about substance abuse and drug addiction, alongside regular screenings and integration of such awareness into the school curriculum.

What is the POCSO Act and its key provisions?

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, is a special law enacted to protect children from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography, and to provide for child-friendly procedures during investigation and trial. It defines a child as any person below 18 years of age and mandates the reporting of sexual offences, making failure to report a punishable offence. The Act was amended in 2019 to introduce the death penalty for aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a child. The POCSO Rules, 2020, further detail the procedures for care, protection, and compensation for the child victim.

What do the Child Protection Committees and counsellors do?

The circular mandates the formation of Child Protection Committees in every educational institution, comprising parents, children and teachers, which must meet once every three months and record their proceedings. Schools and residential schools must install complaint boxes to address grievances of girl students. Experienced and qualified counsellors are to be appointed in schools and Pre-University colleges to address the mental health and other challenges faced by adolescent students.

What are the reporting and accountability measures?

Principals must report a girl student’s unnotified absence from a school or residential school of more than three days in writing to the gram panchayat and Child Helpline 1098. The circular warns of legal action and disciplinary proceedings against officials for failure to prevent, or negligence in addressing, child marriage, teenage pregnancy and incidents under the POCSO Act. The Health Department has directed legal action against shops selling abortion pills without a doctor’s prescription and against those involved in unauthorised abortion activities.