Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Saturday addressed a multi-stakeholder consultation on “10 Years of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Reflections on Progress, Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward”, organised by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court, with the support of the State Child Protection Society (SCPS), Assam, Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Assam, and UNICEF.
The consultation, held in Guwahati, brought together Justice Kalyan Rai Surana, Chairperson, Juvenile Justice Committee; Dr. Madhulika Jonathan, Chief, UNICEF Office for Assam and North-Eastern States; Mukesh Chandra Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary; along with judicial officers, senior Government officials, members of CWCs and JJBs, and representatives from legal services, academia and civil society.
In his address, the Chief Secretary said a child must never be reduced to a case or a file. “The true measure of the system lies in its ability to protect dignity, provide timely support, enable rehabilitation and create pathways towards a safe, stable and productive future,” he said.
“The next phase must mark a decisive shift from systems to outcomes, from protection to empowerment, and from intervention to lasting rehabilitation, with greater focus on family based care, restoration and reintegration wherever appropriate,” he said.
“This requires stronger convergence across the judiciary, police, child protection institutions, district administration and other stakeholders, supported by robust data driven monitoring and accountability. What happens to a child after leaving institutional care must matter as much as what happens while in care,” he added.
“The voices of children and young people who have experienced the system must remain central to this process. Their experiences should help shape the way institutions function, services are delivered and policies evolve,” he said.
The Chief Secretary further said the deliberations need to translate into measurable commitments, clear timelines and regular review, with a focus on tangible improvements in the lives of children.
He expressed confidence that a united effort could help build a juvenile justice and child protection system in Assam and across the North Eastern States where every child is treated not merely as a beneficiary of the law, but as a person whose dignity, potential and future matter.
