HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday directed officials to prepare a comprehensive Child Online Safety Framework to protect children from cybercrime and ensure timely access to justice.
The framework will be prepared in consultation with the Telangana High Court and Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TGSLSA), with parents also involved in the process, Revanth said.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the South Zone Regional Conference organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) in collaboration with the TGSLSA in Hyderabad. The conference focused on access to justice for children in cyberspace, prevention of online sexual exploitation and strengthening child-friendly justice and protection.
Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court and Patron-in-Chief of TGSLSA, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, said ensuring access to justice for every child was a collective responsibility, with legal services institutions acting as a bridge between the justice system and vulnerable communities.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said child welfare was an investment in nation-building and called for greater digital literacy among children, parents and teachers. He also stressed the need for child-friendly legal processes, trained legal aid lawyers and trauma-informed assistance.
In his keynote address, Supreme Court judge and NALSA Executive Chairman Justice Vikram Nath highlighted risks associated with social media, messaging applications and online games, including sexual grooming, blackmail and cyberbullying.
He also warned of the use of artificial intelligence to create fabricated sexual images of children.
“The image may be fabricated, but the harm to the child is real,” Justice Nath said, calling for “child-friendly justice by design”. He said legal aid should cover awareness, representation, protection and rehabilitation.
Supreme Court judges Justice Alok Aradhe, Justice R Mahadevan and Justice PS Narasimha also addressed the conference.
Justice Aradhe spoke about challenges in investigating cyber offences against children, particularly digital evidence. Justice Mahadevan stressed children’s dignity, rights and agency, while Justice Narasimha spoke about the role of parents and teachers in children’s well-being.