Centre backs comprehensive sex education in schools, colleges

MUMBAI: It may soon be time for India’s classrooms to stop whispering about the birds and the bees. The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has accepted an expert panel’s recommendations to introduce comprehensive sex education in schools and colleges nationwide, marking a significant shift in how adolescent health and safety could be taught.

The government informed a Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan that it would begin implementing the recommendations once the Supreme Court approves the committee’s report. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said the recommendations had been accepted and would be rolled out across the country following the court’s clearance.

The report was prepared in compliance with the apex court’s directions to examine ways of preventing the criminalisation of consensual adolescent relationships and cases involving minor pregnancies under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

To examine the issue, the Centre had constituted a 26-member national expert committee, headed by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The panel included representatives from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), clinical psychologists, central ministries, state governments, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

Among its key recommendations is the inclusion of comprehensive sex education and child sexual abuse awareness as part of the core curriculum in schools. The committee has also proposed that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) develop age-appropriate teaching material to ensure children receive information suited to their stage of development.

The panel recommended introducing concepts such as body safety, hygiene, body parts, and safe and unsafe touch from the foundational years, with lessons becoming progressively more detailed as students grow older. It also suggested appointing a dedicated teacher from the primary level onwards to conduct mandatory 15 to 20-minute sessions twice a week.

Beyond classroom teaching, the committee proposed aligning adolescent education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, strengthening existing programmes to promote life skills, critical thinking and holistic development. It also recommended integrating POCSO awareness into adolescent education modules and organising regular workshops for parents, guardians and teachers to improve understanding of children’s developmental needs and sexuality education.

Senior advocates Madhavi Divan and Liz Mathew, assisting the Supreme Court as amicus curiae, welcomed the report but suggested that the term “comprehensive sex education” should be clearly defined to avoid ambiguity during implementation.

The Supreme Court has said it will examine the committee’s recommendations before passing an appropriate order. If approved, the move could pave the way for one of the most significant overhauls of adolescent education in India, placing greater emphasis on safety, consent, awareness and informed decision-making alongside traditional classroom learning.