The Ministry of Women and Child Development has detailed the government's comprehensive approach to protecting children in the digital environment while enabling them to benefit from digital technologies. The framework recognizes both the transformative potential of digital technologies for education and information access, as well as the associated risks including exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, online abuse, excessive screen time, and digital dependency.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
The government has established a multi-layered legal framework comprising the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (as amended), and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The IT Rules mandate intermediaries to exercise due diligence and prohibit hosting or transmission of unlawful content, including content that is obscene, pornographic, invasive of privacy, harmful to children, promotes hate or violence, impersonates individuals, or threatens public order.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 provides specific safeguards for children by requiring verifiable consent of parents or lawful guardians prior to processing of their personal data. It prohibits tracking, behavioural monitoring, and targeted advertising directed at children. The DPDP Rules prescribe operational mechanisms for obtaining verifiable parental consent through identity and age verification measures and the use of virtual tokens, and provide for the right to withdraw consent with corresponding obligations on data fiduciaries to erase such data.
Institutional Mechanisms and Coordination
The Ministry of Home Affairs has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to provide a framework and ecosystem for Law Enforcement Agencies to deal with cybercrimes comprehensively. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) enables public reporting of all types of cybercrimes with special emphasis on crimes against children. The government has implemented measures including public awareness campaigns, alerts and advisories, training for LEA personnel, prosecutors and judicial officers, and upgrading cyber forensic facilities.
Research and Resources
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) commissioned a nationwide study in 2021 on "Effects (Physical, Behavioural and Psycho-social) of using mobile phones and other devices with internet accessibility by children." The study collected responses from 5,811 participants, consisting of 3,491 school-going children, 1,534 parents, and 786 teachers from 60 schools across six states. The study report is available on NCPCR's website.
NCPCR has developed multiple resources including "Being Safe Online" guidelines, a Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools incorporating cyberbullying prevention guidelines, and 2024 Guidelines on Preventing Cyber Bullying for school children. During 2025-26, NCPCR conducted conferences at state and district levels on child rights issues including cyber safety, and organized capacity-building programs for school administrators and educators on child protection laws and safety practices.
Education Sector Initiatives
The Ministry of Education issued the PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education in July 2020, providing a framework for safe and effective online learning including promotion of students' well-being and responsible use of social media and electronic devices. CBSE has supplemented these efforts through guidelines on digital etiquette, cybersecurity training for teachers, publication of the Cyber Security Handbook, and advisories to schools for establishing Cyber Clubs. NCERT has incorporated cyber safety in its curriculum and developed resource materials on cyber safety and security.