INDIA’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AMENDMENT ACT OF 2021

AUTHOR – MR. MD JIYAUDDIN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF LAW, BRAINWARE UNIVERSITY, KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, EMAIL ID- IMDJIYAUDDIN@GMAIL.COM

BEST CITATION – MR. MD JIYAUDDIN, INDIA’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AMENDMENT ACT OF 2021, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (2) OF 2026, PG. 578-586, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

Abstract

A long history underlies the Issue of juvenile crime in India. Throughout history, cultures have responded to delinquent behaviour by children and teenagers in a variety of ways. According to the Indian Constitution, the State is also tasked with protecting children’s welfare. The Juvenile Justice Acts of 1986, 2000, and 2015 underwent substantial modifications as India’s juvenile justice laws developed over time. These actions are intended to give children social integration, development, care, protection, and rectify. It lays out procedures for children who are in need of care and protection as well as those who have been accused of breaking the law and proven to have done so. In 2021, the most recent revision lowered the age of criminal liability for significant offences; this decision was made without empirical support and based on dubious data. Socially and economically disadvantaged children may be disproportionately impacted by this shift, and there are worries about the vagueness of the definition of heinous crimes. Concerns about procedural justice and the assumption of innocent are brought up by the Act’s provisions. Despite these obstacles, the Constitution and court decisions both support the idea that rehabilitation, not punishment, should continue to be the core goal of the juvenile justice system.

Key Words: – Children, Social Integration, Development, Care, Protection, Rectify, Socially and economically disadvantaged.