Duration of the Programme: One Year (Two Semesters: January-December)
The Postgraduate Diploma in Juvenile Justice, Child Rights and Child Protection is designed to provide an indepth understanding of the critical issues like the protection of Rights of children through the Juvenile Justice System in its wider applications fulfilling the needs and rights of children and key policies which are driven by the Children Related Laws in India, i.e., the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the POCSO Act, 2012, Child Marriage Act,2006, and the Child and Adolescent Laboutr(Prohibition and Regulation) Act,1986, the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act,2005 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act,2009 among others. The principles and the provisions of the JJ Act / system which creates the framework for the care, protection, development, welfare, rehabilitation & social reintegration of the CCL (Children in Conflict with Law) & CNCP (Children in need of Care and Protection) system are overarching all the current child-related legislations in India and all the schemes and policies like Mission Vatsalya, NLSA Child Protection Policy, and the National Policy for Children, 2013.
Child has been variably defined under the laws concerning the children. However, endorsing the UNCRC (ratified by India in 1991), a child is generally being defined as a person up to the age of 18 years. Successive child related laws in India including BNS (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita) 2023, are now endorsing the JJ Act definition of child as a person who has not completed the age of 18 years.
We believe that the rights and needs of the child are synonymous and therefore, the JJ system coupled with Child Rights and Child Protection creates an ecosystem for all the stakeholders, i.e., DCPU, CWC, JJB, the judges and prosecutors/advocates of Children’s Court, Judiciary, SJPU, CWPOs, SSB, RPF and GRP, State and National Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights, legal service authorities, Support Persons and lawyers working with children, team members of Child Helpline, staff of Child Care Institutions, Adoption Agencies, and volunteers & CSOs in the field of Juvenile Justice, Child Protection and Child Rights.
Children are the foundation of our society, yet they remain one of the most vulnerable, often neglected groups. The protection and promotion of child rights are essential to ensuring their holistic development, safety, and well-being.
Raising awareness about these Rights is crucial to empowering children and building a more just and equitable society. Child Rights refer to the fundamental entitlements that all children possess, regardless of race, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status. These rights are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which outlines four core principles: Survival Rights, Development Rights, Protection Rights, and Participation Rights. Over the years, the UNCRC rights of children have attained justiciability through various child related laws in India particularly the JJ Act 2015 & CPCRC, Commission of the Protection of Child Rights Act 2005.
Awareness of child rights is key to preventing violations and ensuring their implementation. Through education and advocacy, individuals and communities can recognize signs of child abuse, exploitation, and discrimination; promote access to education, healthcare, and social protection for all children; equip children with the knowledge and confidence to understand and assert their rights; and encourage policymakers and institutions to prioritize child welfare in their decisionmaking processes.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Juvenile Justice, Child Rights and Child Protection is a specialized programme designed to equip the participants with theoretical and practical understanding of the evolving field of Juvenile Justice, Child Rights and Child Protection related laws in India.
Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre Society (Society- Estd.1988/Reg.S/20291/1989) is a national level, child, youth and women centric Community-based, non-profit service delivery organization, directly serving the marginalized, vulnerable destitute, deprived, trafficked, run-away and missing children besides the marginalized women, youth and homeless people. Responding to the needs of the homeless, street & working children and the juveniles in Delhi, Prayas originated in 1988 and initially developed as a voluntary organisation through the joint efforts of Delhi Police, Delhi School of Social Work (Delhi University) and Shramik Vidyapeeth (now Jan Shikshan Sansthan-Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI).
Prayas operates through two main verticals- The Prayas Institute of Juvenile Justice (PIJJ), an apex unit of Prayas JAC Society and Allied organisations, which has a proven track record of research and action-based studies, policy formulation, advocacy in respect of the delivery of hard-core services and Prayas Institute of Economic Empowerment (PIEE) and runs 5 Jan Shikshan Santhans (JSS) - (Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship GoI) & Sanchay Prayas Swavlamban Santhan (SPSS- Section 8 Nonprofit Company).
PIJJ along with PIEE and the Head Office (HO), located at 59 Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi 110062, presently oversees 329 Centres/Units, run by over 789 co-workers directly serving nearly 50,000 beneficiaries in 12 States/UTs of the country. Prayas has holistically looked after and provided lifeline support to 2,98,000 out of which 1,94,000 Children in Need of Care & Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) under the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act(s) (1986 until now 2015 Act) out of whom 26000 CNCP/CCL looked after by the organisation at Feroz Shah Kotla Observation Home). The thematic and functional Projects through various Centres provide strongly-felt needed support in the areas like: Child Protection & Juvenile Justice; Child Rights, Human Trafficking and Child/Forced Labour; Child Exploitation & Abuse; Institutional & Non-institutional Care; Health & Nutrition; Education, Skill Development & Livelihood; Disaster & Crisis Management; Destitution, Beggary & Homelessness etc.
Objectives of the Course.
The Program offers eight courses and one dissertation in two semesters.
Semester I
Semester II
Dr. Asha Verma
Assistant Professor of Law
Head, Centre for Women and Child Rights
Course Coordinator for PG Diploma Course in Juvenile Justice, Child Rights and Child Protection
Email id: averma@gnlu.ac.in
Contact Number: +91-8980091701, +91 99993 89840
