Comprehension
Children come in contact with the criminal justice system either as victims or witnesses to a crime or as children in conflict with law (CICL). As CICL, they could be alleged of, accused or recognised as having broken the law by committing a crime. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Report 2021, India recorded a total number of 1,49,404 instances of crimes against children in 2021 a rise of over 16 per cent from the previous year. In terms of percentage, the top categories under crime against children were kidnapping and abduction, followed by cases registered under the POCSO Act. Further, the NCRB report revealed that of the total cases, 53,874 were registered under POCSO Sections. Sexual offences against children shows a steady ascent, with 47,221 such cases being recorded in 2020, and 47,335 cases in 2019. In 2019, as many as 32,269 cases were registered across the country, while the 2021 report registered a decline of 3.5 per cent recording 31,170 cases.
The Criminal Justice system of any country broadly refers to agencies of the government charged with enforcing law, adjudicating crime, and correcting criminal conduct. The main objective of the criminal justice system is 'deterrence', ie., to punish the 'transgressors and the criminals' and to maintain law and order in the society. Globally, children and young people are routinely exposed to various forms of violence if they are before the criminal justice system. They are at risk of physical and psychological abuse, sexual assault, and other harms, including inadequate educational opportunities, poor and outdated vocational training. They face several challenges including mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Children, who are victims of violence or exposed to violence during childhood, are more likely to have difficulty in school, abuse drugs or alcohol, act aggressively, suffer from depression or other mental health problems and engage in criminal behaviour as adults.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions from "Child Rights in the Criminal Justice System: Need for Law Reform" written by Dr. Asha Bajpai published in the Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, India].
The Criminal Justice system of any country broadly refers to agencies of the government charged with enforcing law, adjudicating crime, and correcting criminal conduct. The main objective of the criminal justice system is 'deterrence', ie., to punish the 'transgressors and the criminals' and to maintain law and order in the society. Globally, children and young people are routinely exposed to various forms of violence if they are before the criminal justice system. They are at risk of physical and psychological abuse, sexual assault, and other harms, including inadequate educational opportunities, poor and outdated vocational training. They face several challenges including mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders. Children, who are victims of violence or exposed to violence during childhood, are more likely to have difficulty in school, abuse drugs or alcohol, act aggressively, suffer from depression or other mental health problems and engage in criminal behaviour as adults.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions from "Child Rights in the Criminal Justice System: Need for Law Reform" written by Dr. Asha Bajpai published in the Journal of the National Human Rights Commission, India].
Question: 1
Which of the following issues, children, who are victims of violence during childhood face in life, as per the author of the above passage?
Which of the following issues, children, who are victims of violence during childhood face in life, as per the author of the above passage?
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- They may have difficulties in school
- They may abuse drugs or alcohol and suffer from mental health problems
- They may act aggressively and engage in criminal behaviour
- All of the above
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage outlines various issues children face, including difficulties in school, drug or alcohol abuse, mental health problems, aggressive behavior, and criminal tendencies. All options are accurate.
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Question: 2
What is the primary objective of the criminal justice system as mentioned in the passage?
What is the primary objective of the criminal justice system as mentioned in the passage?
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- Rehabilitation of offenders
- Punishment of the offenders
- Reformation of the offenders
- Protection of victims from the offender
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage emphasizes “deterrence” as the main objective of the criminal justice system, achieved by punishing offenders to maintain law and order in society.
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Question: 3
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in India is responsible for:
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in India is responsible for:
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- Conducting forensic investigation of Records of Criminals
- Maintaining a national database of fingerprints of Criminals
- Compiling and analysing crime data
- Maintaining a national database of enforcement of criminal laws
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The NCRB’s primary role is to collect, compile, and analyze crime data across the country, as mentioned in the passage.
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Question: 4
Which category had the highest number of cases under crimes against children according to the NCRB Report 2021?
Which category had the highest number of cases under crimes against children according to the NCRB Report 2021?
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- POCSO
- Kidnapping and abduction
- Sexual Offences
- All of the above
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage states that kidnapping and abduction accounted for the highest percentage of crimes against children, followed by cases under POCSO.
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Question: 5
Which one of the following is the correct expansion of the term POCSO used in the passage?
Which one of the following is the correct expansion of the term POCSO used in the passage?
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
- Prosecution of Criminals of Sexual Offences
- Protection of Children & Women from Sexual Offences
- None of the above
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
POCSO stands for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, as specified in the passage. The other options are incorrect or partially correct.
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Question: 6
What risks do children face when exposed to the criminal justice system as per the passage?
What risks do children face when exposed to the criminal justice system as per the passage?
Updated On: Dec 1, 2024
- Limited access to vocational training
- Exposed to risk of physical abuse
- Mental health challenges and behavioural disorders
- All of the above
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage highlights risks including physical abuse, psychological harm, inadequate education, and vocational opportunities, and mental and behavioral disorders. Therefore, all the mentioned risks are valid.
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[Extracted with edits from "Education" by Swami Vivekananda]- CLAT - 2025
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