List of Statutes related to Children in India – A Grid

Central Acts

The Constitution of India, 1950

Article 15(3) – Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
Article 21A – Right to Education
Article 24 – Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.
Article 39(e ) – Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State.
Article 39(f) – Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State.
Article 45 – Provision for free and compulsory education for children.
Article 47 – Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.
Article 51A(k) – Fundamental Duties

- The Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Act, 2015
Section 2 – Definitions.
Section 3 – General principles to be followed in administration of Act
Section 4 – Juvenile Justice Board.
Section 10 – Apprehension of child alleged to be in conflict with law
Section 12 – Bail to a person who is apparently a child alleged to be in conflict with law.
Section 14 – Inquiry by Board regarding child in conflict with law.
Section 15 – Preliminary assessment into heinous offences by Board.
Section 19 – Powers of Children’s Court
Section 27 – Child Welfare Committee.
Section 36 – Inquiry
Section 41 – Registration of child care institutions.
Section 47 – Observation homes.
Section 74 – Prohibition on disclosure of identity of children.
Section 75 – Punishment for cruelty to child.
Section 76 – Employment of child for begging.
Section 77 – Penalty for giving intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug or psychotropic substance to a child.
Section 89 – Offence committed by child under this Chapter.

- The Indian Contract Act, 1872
Section 11 – Who are competent to contract.

- The Indian Majority Act, 1875
Section 3 – Age of majority of persons domiciled in India.

- The Orphanages and Other Charitable Homes (Supervision and Control) Act, 1960
Section 2(c) & (d) – Definitions.
Section 16- Contents of certificate.
Section 17- Revocation of certificate.
Section 19- Surrender of certificate and its effect
Section 21- Duty of manager
Section 31- Repeals and savings.

- The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
Section 4- Definitions.
Section 7- Power of the Court to make order as to guardianship.
Section 8- Persons entitled to apply for order.
Section 12- Power to make interlocutory order for production of minor and interim protection of person and propert
Section 16- Appointment or declaration of guardian for property beyond jurisdiction of the Court.
Section 17- Matters to be considered by the Court in appointing guardian.
Section 19- Guardian not to be appointed by the Court in certain cases.
Section 20- Fiduciary relation of guardian to ward.
Section 21- Capacity of minors to act as guardians.
Section 24- Duties of guardian of the person.
Section 25- Title of guardian to custody of ward
Section 26- Removal of war from jurisdiction.
Section 27- Duties of guardian of property.
Section 29- Limitation of powers of guardian of property appointed or declared by the Court.
Section 30- Voidability of transfers made in contravention of section 28 or section 29
Section 31- Practice with respect to permitting transfers under section 29
Section 33- Right of guardian so appointed or declared to apply to the Court for opinion in management of property, of ward
Section 34- Obligations on guardian of property appointed or declared by the Court.
Section 39- Removal of guardian.
Section 42- Appointment of successor to guardian dead, discharged or removed.
Section 43- Orders for regulating conduct or proceedings of guardians, and enforcement of those orders.
Section 44- Penalty for removal of ward from jurisdiction.

- The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956
Section 2 – Application of Act
Section 9 – Persons capable of giving in adoption
Section 11 – Other conditions for a valid adoption
Section 12 – Effects of adoption
Section 14 – Determination of adoptive mother in certain cases.
Section 15 – Valid adoption not to be cancelled
Section 16 – Presumption as to registered documents relating to adoption
Section 20 – Maintenance of children and aged parents.

- - - The Surrogacy Regulation Act, 2021

- Section 2- Definitions

- Section 4- Regulation

- Section 7- Prohibition to abandon child born through surrogacy

- Section 8- Rights of surrogate child

Section 38- Prohibition of commercial surrogacy, exploitation of surrogate mothers and children born through surrogacy.

- The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Section 2 – Application of Act
Section 5– Conditions for a Hindu marriage
Section 14 – No petition for divorce to be presented within one year of marriage
Section 16– Legitimacy of children of void and voidable marriages
Section 18 – Punishment for contravention of certain other conditions for a Hindu marriage
Section 26 – Custody of children
Section 29 – Savings

- The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986
Section 2- Definitions
Section 3- Mahr or other properties of Muslim woman to be given to her at the time of divorce
Section 4- Order for payment of maintenance

- - The Indian Succession Act, 1925

- Section 2 – Definitions

- Section 14 – Minor’s domicile

- Section 17 – Minor’s acquisition of new domicile

- Section 22 – Settlement of minor’s property in contemplation of marriage

- Section 207 – Court of Wards to be made curator in case of minors having property subject to its jurisdiction

- Section 223 – Persons to whom probate cannot be granted

- Section 236 – To whom administration may not be granted

- Section 246 – Administration for use and benefit of lunatic or minor

- Section 314 – Powers of administrator during minority

Section 348 – Procedure where minor entitled to immediate payment or possession of bequest, and no direction to pay to person on his behalf.

- - - The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956

- Section 4 – Definitions

- Section 6 – Natural guardians of a Hindu minor

- Section 7 – Natural guardianship of adopted son.

- Section 8 – Powers of natural guardian.

- Section 9 – Testamentary guardians and their powers.

- Section 10 – Incapacity of minor to act as guardian of property.

- Section 11 – De facto guardian not to deal with minor’s property.

- Section 12 – Guardian not to be appointed for minors undivided interest in joint family property.

Section 13 – Welfare of minor to be paramount consideration.

- The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
Section 2 – Definitions
Section 5 – Procuring, inducing or taking person for the sake of prostitution
Section 6 – Detaining a person in premises where prostitution is carried on
Section 7 – Prostitution in or in the vicinity of public places
Section 17 – Intermediate custody of persons removed under section 15 or rescued under section 16.
Section 17A – Conditions to be observed before placing persons rescued under section 16 to parents or guardians.

- - - The Probation of Offenders Act, 1958

Section 6 – Restrictions on imprisonment of offenders under twenty-one years of age.

- The Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, 2005
Section 21 – Custody orders
- The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 63 – Rape definition.
Section 88 – Causing miscarriage.
Section 89 – Causing miscarriage without woman’s consent.
Section 90 – Death caused by act done with intent to cause miscarriage.
Section 91 – Act done with intent to prevent child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth.
Section 92 – Causing death of quick unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide.
Section 92 – Exposure and abandonment of child under twelve years, by parent or person having care of it.
Section 94 – Concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body
- The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0)
Anganwadi Services
Scheme for Adolescent Girls
National Creche Scheme
- The Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005
Section 2(b) – Definitions
Section 3 – Constitution of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
Section 13 – Functions of Commission
Section 17 – Constitution of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights
Section 25 – Children’s Courts.
- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
Section 4 – Women and children with disabilities
Section 16 – Duty of educational institutions.
Section 17 – Specific measures to promote and facilitate inclusive education.
Section 31 – Free education for children with benchmark disabilities
Section 39 – Awareness campaigns
- The Factories Act, 1948
Section 67 – Prohibition of employment of young children
Section 69 – Certificates of fitness
Section 71 – Working hours for children
Section 73 – Register of child workers
- The Mines Act, 1952
Section 43 – Power to require medical examination
Section 45 – Prohibition of the presence of persons below eighteen years of age in a mine
Section 68 – Penalty for employment of persons below eighteen years of age
- The Apprentice Act, 1961
Section 3 – Qualifications for being engaged as an apprentice
Section 4 – Contract of apprenticeship
- The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
Section 4 – Abolition of bonded labour system
Section 16 – Punishment for enforcement of bonded labour.
- The Income Tax Act, 1961
Section 10(32) – Incomes not included in total income
Section 64(1A) – Income of individual to include income of spouse, minor child, etc.
Section 80C(2)(xvii) – Deduction in respect of life insurance premia, deferred annuity, contributions to provident fund, subscription to certain equity shares or debentures, etc.
Section 80E(1) – 80E. Deduction in respect of interest on loan taken for higher education
- The Wealth Tax Act, 1957
Section 4(1)(a)(ii) – Net wealth to include certain assets
Section 4 (1)(b) – Net wealth to include certain assets
Section 21(3) – Assessment when assets are held by courts of wards, administrators-general, etc.
- The Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
Section 4 – Definitions.
Section 6 – Saving of power to appoint in other cases
Section 7 – Power of the Court to make order as to guardianship.
Section 12 – Power to make interlocutory order for production of minor and interim protection of person and property.
Section 17 – Matters to be considered by the Court in appointing guardian.
Section 21 – Capacity of minors to act as guardians
Section 24 – Duties of guardian of the person
Section 25 – Title of guardian to custody of ward
Section 26 – Removal of war from jurisdiction
- The Family Courts Act, 1984
Section 7- Jurisdiction
- The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS)
Section 144 – Order for maintenance of wives, children and parents.
Section 300 – Non-application of the Chapter
Section 402 – Special reasons to be recorded in certain cases
- The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
Section 116 – Birth During Marriage, Conclusive Proof of Legitimacy
Section 124 – Who may testify
- The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution Act, 1992
Section 3 – Certain prohibitions in relation to infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods
Section 4 – Prohibition of incentives for the use or sale of infant milk substitutes or feeding bottles.
Section 5 – Donations of infant milk substitutes or feeding bottles or equipment of materials relating thereto.
Section 6 – Information on containers and labels of infant milk substitutes of infant foods.
Section 9 – Inducement to health worker for promoting use of infant milk substitutes, etc.
- The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
Section 2 – Definitions
Section 3 – Prohibition of employment of children in certain occupations and processes
Section 7 – Hours and period of work.
Section 14 – Penalties.
- The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994
Section 3 – Regulation of Genetic Counselling Centres, Genetic Laboratories and Genetic Clinics
Section 4 – Regulation of pre-natal diagnostic techniques
Section 5 – Written consent of pregnant woman and prohibition of communicating the sex of foetus
Section 6 – Determination of sex prohibited
- Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994
Section 2- Definitions
Section 3- Authority for removal of human organs or tissues or both
Section 9- Restrictions on removal and transplantation of human organs or tissues or both
Section 18- Punishment for removal of human organ without authority
- Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988
Section 3- Power to make orders detaining certain persons
Section 12- Revocation of detention orders
- The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
Section 2(f) – Definitions.
Section 9 – Processing of personal data of children
- The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025
Rule 10 – Verifiable consent for processing of personal data of child or of person with disability who has lawful guardian
- The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
Order XXXII Rule 1 – Minor to sue by next friend
Order XXXII Rule 2 – Where suit is instituted without next friend, plaint to be taken off the file
Order XXXII Rule 3 – Guardian for the suit to be appointed by Court for minor defendant
Order XXXII Rule 3A – Decree against minor not to be set aside unless prejudice has been caused to his interest
Order XXXII Rule 4 – Who may act as next friend or be appointed guardian for the suit.
Order XXXII Rule 5 – Representation of minor by next friend or guardian for the suit.
Order XXXII Rule 6 – Receipt by next friend or guardian for the suit of property under decree for minor.
Order XXXII Rule 8 – Retirement of next friend.
Order XXXII Rule 9 – Removal of next friend.
Order XXXII Rule 11 – Retirement, removal or death of guardian for the suit.
Order XXXII Rule 12 – Course to be followed by minor plaintiff or applicant on attaining majority
Order XXXII Rule 13 – Where minor co-plaintiff attaining majority desires to repudiate suit
Order XXXII Rule 14 – Unreasonable or improper suit.
Order XXXIIA Rule 1 – Application of the Order
Order XXXIIA Rule 2 – Proceedings to be held in camera.
Order XXXIIA Rule 4 – Assistance of welfare expert.
Order XXXIIA Rule 6 – “Family”—Meaning of
- The Information Technology Act, 2000
Sections 67 B – Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form