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Section2
Protection of Children from sexual offences

Definitions

In force Act 32 of 2012 As on 21 Oct 2026

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so the text below was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Act 32 of 2012 Cited by 1 provision

This is a second copy of a Central Act. India Code files it on Madhya Pradesh's shelf as well as under Parliament, and the text is the same enactment. Read it at The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, which is the record this site keeps current.

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so this text was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Section 2 of Protection of Children from sexual offences deals with definitions. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - (a) "aggravated penetrative sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 5;

Definitions :

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - (a) "aggravated penetrative sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 5;

(b) "aggravated sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 9;

(c) "armed forces or security forces" means armed forces of the Union or security forces or police forces, as specified in the Schedule;

(d) "child" means any person below the age of eighteen years;

(e) "domestic relationship" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (f) of section 2 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. 43 of 2005 (f) "penetrative sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 3;

(g) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(h) "religious institution" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988. 41 of 1988 (i) "sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 7;

(j) "sexual harassment" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 11;

(k) "shared household" means a household where the person charged with the offence lives or has lived at any time in a domestic relationship with the child;

(l) "Special Court" means a court designated as such under section 28;

(m) "Special Public Prosecutor" means a Public Prosecutor appointed under section 32.

(2) The words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Indian Penal Code, the Code or the Acts. 45 of 1860 CHAPTER II SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN A. PENETRATIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND PUNISHMENT THEREFOR.

Section 2, Protection of Children from sexual offences (Act 32 of 2012).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

This section refers to

  1. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act s. 2 Definitions
  2. s. 3
  3. s. 5
  4. s. 7
  5. s. 9
  6. s. 11
  7. s. 28 Designation of Special Courts
  8. s. 32 Special Public Prosecutors

Referred to by 1

  1. s. 46 Power to remove difficulties

Questions about Section 2

What does Section 2 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences deal with?

Section 2 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences is headed "Definitions". In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - (a) "aggravated penetrative sexual assault" has the same meaning as assigned to it in section 5;

How do I find court cases under Section 2 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Protection of Children from sexual offences 2, section 2 Protection of Children from sexual offences, section 2 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

What should I read with Section 2 of the Protection of Children from sexual offences, and has it changed?

Its own text turns on Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2 (Definitions), section 3, section 5, section 7, and on 4 further provisions, so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it.

When was the Protection of Children from sexual offences enacted?

Protection of Children from sexual offences was enacted in 2012 as Act 32 of 2012. India Code records no commencement date for it. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Read from the Government's own scanned gazette with Azure Document Intelligence, then split into sections by their numbering. India Code publishes no text for this Act. The scan itself is mirrored into our own storage and served at /scan/9313fcf5-e534-4c68-b6a7-320f1f7bb3f3.pdf, so the reading here can be checked against the page it came from without depending on India Code's own copy staying where it is (it was at https://indiacode.gov.in/server/api/core/bitstreams/f0192ee1-7f6d-4622-988c-cc6364715ccf/content). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.