Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 · Chapter I: Preliminary
Section 2: 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;
[(da) "child pornography" means any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child which include photograph, video, digital or computer generated image indistinguishable from an actual child and image created, adapted, or modified, but appear to depict a child;]
(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 (45 of 1860), the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), [the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (2 of 2016)] and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000) shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the said Codes or the Acts.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 14 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 2
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Jamnalal v. State of Rajasthan and Another
In the instant appeal, the father of the prosecutrix challenges the order of the High Court. By the said order, the sentence imposed on respondent no.2 herein was suspended till the final disposal of the appeal. Whether…
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Just Rights for Children Alliance & Anr. v. S. Harish & Ors.
What is the scope of Section 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO); what is the underlying distinction between sub-section(s) (1), (2) and (3) respectively of the POCSO; whether, mere…
- P. Yuvaprakash v. State Rep. by Inspector of Police
- State of U.P. v. Sonu Kushwaha
- Gangadhar Narayan Nayak @ Gangadhar Hiregutti v. State of Karnataka & Ors.
- Smruti Tukaram Badade v. State of Maharashtra & Anr
- Attorney General for India v. Satish and Another
- Government of Maharashtra (Water Resources Department) Represented by Executive Engineer v. M/S Borse Brothers Engineers & Contractors Pvt. Ltd.
- Ms. Eera Through Dr. Manjula Krippendorf v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi) & Anr.