The Centre has informed the Supreme Court about its decision to accept the recommendations of an expert committee to introduce 'comprehensive sex education' in schools and colleges across the country. The implementation will begin once the court approves the report.
The submission was made before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan on Monday, where Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said the government had accepted the committee's recommendations and would implement them nationwide after the apex court's approval.
The report was prepared in compliance with the SC's directions to examine measures to prevent the criminalisation of consensual adolescent relationships and cases of minor pregnancy under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, according to a Times of India report.
26-member panel recommends curriculum changes
The Centre had constituted a 26-member national expert committee, headed by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, to examine issues relating to the privacy rights of adolescents engaged in consensual relationships, particularly in the context of the POCSO Act.
The panel included experts from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), clinical psychologists, representatives from central ministries, state governments, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the report mentioned further.
Among its major recommendations, the committee proposed making "comprehensive sex education" and "child sexual abuse" part of the core school curriculum.
It also recommended that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) develop age-appropriate teaching material.
Age-appropriate lessons from primary school
The report said children should be equipped with age-appropriate knowledge to identify unsafe situations, understand personal boundaries and seek help when needed.
It recommended introducing basic concepts such as body safety, hygiene, body parts, and safe and unsafe touch from the foundational stage, while progressively expanding the curriculum as students grow older.
The panel further suggested that a dedicated expert teacher be appointed from the primary level onwards to conduct mandatory classes on these topics for 15–20 minutes twice a week.
Linked to National Education Policy
The committee recommended integrating adolescent education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, saying existing programmes should be reviewed and strengthened to promote holistic development, critical thinking and life skills.
It also proposed incorporating POCSO awareness into adolescent education modules and conducting regular workshops and dialogues with parents, guardians and teachers to sensitise them about children's developmental milestones and the importance of sexuality education.
Senior advocates Madhavi Divan and Liz Mathew, assisting the Supreme Court as amicus curiae, welcomed the report but suggested that the term "comprehensive sex education" should be clearly defined.
The bench said it would examine the recommendations and pass an appropriate order.
