Maharashtra mandates specialised training for juvenile police units

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Acting on directions from the Bombay high court, the Maharashtra home department issued a govt resolution, mandating structured and compulsory training for police personnel deployed in the special juvenile police units and as child welfare police officers across the state.The move follows an order dated Feb 10, 2026, in a suo motu criminal PIL by the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court, which flagged the need for consistency in handling cases involving children and sought institutional-level reforms in police training.The govt resolution (GR) stated that under section 107 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, special juvenile police units had already been established at all police unit level in Maharashtra, while child welfare police officers had been appointed at every police station. As per Rule 92 of the Juvenile Justice Rules, 2018, regular training of officers working in these roles was mandatory, it stated.In compliance with the HC's directives, the govt resolution outlined a four-point framework to standardise training and postings. It tasked the additional director general of police (training and special units) with designing a specialised training module exclusively for personnel working in special juvenile police units and as child welfare police officers. It said the module would be made a compulsory part of both the basic training curriculum and refresher courses across all apex and regional police training institutes in the state.It also stated that only those police officers and personnel who had successfully undergone this specialised training would be eligible for postings in special juvenile police units and as child welfare police officers. Officers newly assigned to these roles who had not yet completed the training had to undergo it within one month of their posting, it said.The HC had specifically emphasised that officers transferred from one unit to another should continue to be assigned juvenile-related responsibilities to maintain continuity and expertise in handling sensitive cases involving children.A senior police officer from the DG office said, "The GR is expected to bring uniformity in procedures, improve child-sensitive policing, and ensure better implementation of juvenile justice laws across Maharashtra. The decision is also seen as a step towards institutionalising expertise within the police force rather than relying on ad hoc training practices."Another officer said that since the high court issued specific directives last month, the DG office had already asked the authorities concerned to further add an elaborate syllabus in the training of the officers and the constabulary at the police training academy, as well as police training schools across the state.