The Supreme Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify if sex education is part of higher secondary schools’ curriculum. The court stressed that “timely information about puberty and its socio-ethical aspects” could help reduce such serious cases.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to give a clear and direct answer on whether sex education is part of the syllabus in higher secondary schools in the state. The court wants to know if adolescents are being taught about hormonal changes during puberty and their effects, so that they can be better informed and avoid situations that may lead to serious legal issues later in life.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and S.C. Sharma was hearing a case involving a juvenile accused under the POCSO Act and rape charges. The case began after the victim discovered she was about two and a half months pregnant, following which her family lodged an FIR.
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The accused was booked under Section 376 (rape), Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
The trial court had earlier refused to grant bail to the juvenile. Later, he filed a revision petition in the Allahabad High Court, but even there he did not get relief. The High Court dismissed his plea, saying
“the consent of the minor is irrelevant in POCSO cases”.
When the matter reached the Supreme Court, the accused juvenile argued that the relationship was consensual. However, the top court, while noting the seriousness of the matter, asked the Uttar Pradesh government to respond on the larger issue of whether sex education is included in the school curriculum.
The bench pointed out that the UP government has already filed a counter-affidavit, but an additional and specific affidavit is needed.
The court directed the state to file this affidavit clearly stating if sex education is part of the higher secondary syllabus.
The bench observed that
“if adolescents are given timely information about physical and mental changes, sex education and its socio-ethical aspects, then such cases can be reduced”.
The Supreme Court’s direction in this matter is not only linked to the case of this juvenile but also highlights a larger social concern.
The judges indicated that sex education is the need of the hour in India’s education system, especially for teenagers who are at a stage of significant physical and emotional change.
Petitioner: V. N. Raghupathy, AOR and Advocates Raghavendra M. Kulkarni, Mythili S, M. Bangaraswamy, Venkata Raghu Mannepalli.
Respondent: AOR Manisha and Advocates Abhishek Saket, Sudeep Kumar, Rupali, Ananya Rai, Adv
Case Title:
Juvenile(X) V. State of U.P (SLP No. 10915 of 2025)
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