Gujarat on 14 September 2026 notified the Gujarat State Child Protection Policy-2026, a comprehensive framework mandating the reporting of child abuse, requiring police verification of staff who work with children, and extending protection to digital, healthcare, workplace and public environments. The policy came into force upon publication in the state Gazette and adopts a zero-tolerance approach to violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and discrimination against children.

Key Provisions of the Policy

The policy establishes a coordinated system covering prevention, early identification of risks, complaint response, and counselling, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in need of protection. Teachers, doctors, healthcare workers, counsellors and other professionals who work with children will be required to report suspected cases and take appropriate action. Reportable cases include suspected child abuse, sexual exploitation, child marriage, child labour, human trafficking, online abuse, discrimination, abandonment and neglect — all to be flagged to child helpline 1098/112, the police or the Child Welfare Committee. The identity of the person making a report is to be kept strictly confidential.

Institutions whose employees have direct contact with children will be required to conduct background checks and police verification of regular employees, contractual staff, volunteers and others. A code of conduct will be prescribed for all such institutions, explicitly prohibiting humiliating, harassing, discriminatory or sexually inappropriate conduct towards children.

Digital Safety and Healthcare Obligations

A notable feature of the policy is its formal recognition of online safety as part of the child protection system. It calls for specific measures to prevent and respond to risks arising from the internet, social media and other digital technologies — among the first state-level frameworks in India to integrate digital risks so explicitly.

Hospitals, clinics and healthcare workers will not be permitted to refuse treatment to or discriminate against children on grounds of gender, caste, disability, religion, language, tribal status or marital status. This non-discrimination mandate extends to all children, including those from marginalised communities.

Scope: Who Is Covered

The policy is deliberately broad in its coverage. It applies to children in need of care and protection, children in conflict with the law, Divyang children, migrants, orphans, children from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and those affected by trafficking, living on the streets or in institutional care. Transgender and intersex children, children affected by HIV/AIDS or chronic illness, and those in disaster-affected or conflict-affected areas are also explicitly included.

Responsibility for child protection under the framework extends beyond government departments to include local authorities, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, corporate entities, industries, media organisations, religious institutions and child care institutions.

Institutional Requirements and Compliance

Institutions with 50 or more employees will be required to provide crèche or mobile crèche facilities for employees' children, or suitable childcare spaces for mothers with infants. Public places will be required to have child-friendly zones and safe infant-care spaces.

Non-compliance can attract administrative, disciplinary, contractual or legal action under applicable service rules, departmental regulations and laws. Failure to act despite awareness that a child is at risk will also be treated seriously.

Governance and Review

The Social Justice and Empowerment Department has been designated as the nodal department for implementation. Every government department will be required to prepare an annual implementation plan, with concerned departments required to formulate operational guidelines and protocols within one year of notification. Implementation will be overseen by the Gujarat State Child Protection Society, with the Chief Secretary conducting an annual review. The policy itself will be reviewed every three years, or earlier if necessary.

The policy was announced under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, with guidance from Justice and Empowerment Minister Pradyuman Vaja and Minister of State Manisha Vakil. It was finalised after incorporating objections and suggestions on the draft, alongside existing legal frameworks including the POCSO Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, child labour laws, school safety guidelines and the National Child Policy.

With operational guidelines due within a year and a three-year review cycle built in, the policy's real test will lie in consistent enforcement across the state's diverse institutions.