The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has been without a chairperson since May 3, 2025, leaving 1,431 cases pending. The vacancy comes amid a surge in student abuse cases across schools. Activists say assigning additional charge to an IAS officer violates statutory rules under the 2005 Act.
Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has remained headless since May, even as abuse cases rise. Representation pic/istock
AMID a spate of student abuse cases in Mumbai, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has been functioning without a chairperson for nearly three months, precisely during the critical period between May and July, when the academic year begins for most schools and colleges. As of July 2025, the commission has 1431 pending cases awaiting action.
Under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, each state commission must have a full-time chairperson and six appointed members, serving a term of three years. The last chairperson, Susieben Shah, completed her term on May 3, 2025. “Decisions, hearings, and directions are all carried out by the chairperson and elected members. Whether it’s POCSO cases or RTE complaints, many parents come to the commission seeking justice and leave feeling heard,” Shah told mid-day.
During her tenure, the commission addressed several urgent issues, including sexual harassment complaints, denial of school documents, exclusion from school activities, and distress caused by non-payment of fees. “Typically, we aim to resolve a case within 2-3 hearings, each scheduled with a 15-day notice,” Shah added.
The lack of a functional commission comes at a time when student abuse cases have surged. In a recent POCSO case in Koparkhairane, a parent discovered that their child had access to an obscene video featuring a school teacher. In mid-July, a Thane school principal, teachers, and a staff member were arrested for allegedly strip-searching female students after spotting menstrual stains in a school bathroom. Around the same time, a teacher from a prominent school was arrested for allegedly being in a relationship with a Std X student.
Frustrated by the commission’s vacancy, citizen activist Nitin Dalvi sent a legal notice to the MSCPCR and the Women and Child Development Department. According to the notice, the chairperson’s responsibilities have been temporarily assigned to an IAS officer. Dalvi argues this violates the statutory mandate. “Giving additional charge to an IAS officer does not fulfil the Act’s requirements. The commission is a statutory body meant to function independently and must be led by a qualified, full-time chairperson and members,” the notice states.
This isn’t the first time the state has failed to fill the commission’s top posts. From 2020 to 2022, the MSCPCR remained headless for over two years. “We had filed a PIL back then, and the court’s directions forced the government to make appointments. Now the same situation is repeating. That’s why we’ve sent another legal notice,” Dalvi added. Officials say that when fully staffed, the MSCPCR has the power to take suo motu cognisance of child rights violations across Maharashtra, powers that currently lie dormant.
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