CJI BR Gavai calls for stronger cyber laws, says training must to protect girl child in digital era

PTC Web Desk: Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Saturday expressed deep concern over the rising vulnerability of girls in the digital age, highlighting the growing threats of online harassment, cyberbullying, digital stalking, and the misuse of personal data and deepfake imagery. He stressed the urgent need for specialised legislation and training of law enforcement agencies and decision-makers to tackle these emerging challenges.

Justice Gavai was speaking at the National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on “Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India”, organised by the Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC) of the Supreme Court in association with UNICEF India.

Addressing the gathering, which included Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi and Cynthia McCaffrey, the UNICEF India representative, the CJI said despite constitutional guarantees, many girls in India were still denied their fundamental rights and basic necessities. This ongoing vulnerability, he noted, leaves them at high risk of sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking, malnutrition, child marriage, and even female genital mutilation.

“To secure her safety is not merely to protect her body, but to free her spirit,” Justice Gavai said. “We must confront and overcome the deep-rooted patriarchal customs that continue to deny girls their rightful place,” he added.

Recalling Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear,” Justice Gavai said its essence resonates with the goal of creating a nation where no girl lives in fear—of violence, discrimination, or lost opportunities. “Only when every girl child grows in an environment of freedom and respect can we truly say our country has awakened into that ‘heaven of freedom’ that Tagore envisioned,” he added.

The CJI also underlined that the challenges confronting young girls today are not limited to the physical world but have expanded into the vast and often unregulated digital sphere. “In today’s technological era, where innovation defines progress, it is important to recognise that technology, though empowering, also brings new vulnerabilities,” he said.

Calling for capacity building and sensitisation, Justice Gavai emphasised that institutions, policymakers, and enforcement authorities must evolve to meet the realities of the digital age. “Training programmes for police officers, educators, health professionals, and local administrators should incorporate empathy and contextual understanding,” he suggested.

He further stressed that laws dealing with online sexual exploitation, cyber harassment, and digital trafficking must be backed by effective enforcement, education, and awareness initiatives. “Safeguarding the girl child today means securing her future in classrooms, workplaces, and on every screen she encounters,” he concluded.

Justice BV Nagarathna, chairperson of the JJC, said a girl in India can be considered a truly equal citizen only when she is free to pursue her ambitions like her male counterpart, receiving equal access to opportunities and resources without gender-based barriers.

Justice JB Pardiwala, another member of the JJC, highlighted that protecting the girl child means ensuring equal access to education, healthcare, and resources, while promoting her value in both families and society. “Empowering her to make informed choices and reach her full potential is key to building a just and progressive community,” he said.

On this occasion, Justice Pardiwala also introduced a handbook titled “Child Rights and the Law”, prepared by the Centre for Research and Planning of the Supreme Court under the guidance of the JJC.

The consultation was attended by several Supreme Court and High Court judges, child rights activists, lawyers, and civil society representatives, all sharing the common goal of creating a safe and empowering environment for every girl child in India.