The guardian state and the child: juvenile justice system in India

Children in India, because of their sheer numbers, have been a prime focus of development planning and research, and state welfare. Although not conspicuously high on the governance agenda, the protection and promotion of the rights of the child in India has emerged as a major preoccupation of social and human rights movements. The Constitution of India states that children must be protected against all abuse and exploitation. The National Policy for Children in 1974 declared that the nation's children are a supremely important asset and that their nurture and solicitude are the responsibility of the State. Despite this, the majority of children in India continue to live without a childhood. The juvenile justice system as conceived by legislation, aims at providing care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of delinquent and neglected juveniles. But the care and services provided to them have been criticized as being insufficient and sub standard.