Question

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Welfare has announced to set up a relief fund under PACSO Act for children who have been victims of sexual offenses. In which year was the PACSO Act enacted to protect children from sexual offences?
1. 2010
2. 2012
3. 2013
4. 2015

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : 2012

The correct answer is 2012.

• The POCSO Act was enacted in 2012 to protect children from sexual offences.
• About the POSCO Act, 2012-
  • The act is an acronym for the "Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act".
  • The act was enacted on June 19, 2012.
  • It was enforced on November 14, 2012.
  • The act was enacted to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography and safeguard the interest and well-being of children.
  • According to the act, the definition of a child is any person below eighteen years of age.
  • It also defines different forms of sexual abuse which include penetrative and non-penetrative assault as well as sexual harassment and pornography.
• The POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019-
  • The new act defines child pornography as: “any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child which includes a photograph, video, digital or computer-generated image (that is) indistinguishable from an actual child.”
  • Additionally, “an image created, adapted, modified” to depict a child would also be treated as a child
    pornography.
  • This would also include cartoons, animated pictures, etc.
  • The Cabinet has also enhanced the fine for possessing child **** but not deleting or reporting it to 5,000 from the earlier proposal of Rs 1,000.
  • If a person stores such content for distributing it further, except for when presenting it in court as evidence, he could face a punishment of up to three years.
  • Henceforth, there will be zero tolerance for child pornography.
  • Some of these provisions were also contained in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Amendment Act, 2019, but lapsed.