On 2 August, 2025, The Indian School opened its doors to an extremely serious conversation for its young audience- on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Designed for students of classes VIII, IX and X - the session sought not only to explain the law but also to shift how children perceive their own rights, agency, and safety.
The panel brought together two formidable voices from the legal fraternity: Ms Nidhi Khanna, counsel at the Supreme Court of India, and Ms Aishani Narain, Advocate at the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. Both ladies have cut their paths through some of India’s most significant constitutional and commercial cases, and their presence lent weight and credibility to the discussion.
- From Law to Lived Experience
Ms Nidhi Khanna, who has appeared in high-profile cases ranging from Triple Talaq to WhatsApp Privacy and the Euthanasia debate, began by clarifying a crucial principle: under Indian law, namely, anyone below 18 years is considered incapable of consent. Any sexual act involving a minor, therefore, falls within the ambit of POCSO and must be reported. But Khanna went beyond statutory language—using stories from her practice. She revealed how cultural codes of “shame” and “honour” often deter children from speaking up.
Her message was sharp: the law recognises not only the act of abuse but also the power dynamics that silence victims. By highlighting the Act’s child-friendly reporting mechanisms, she urged students to reframe their fear of legal processes and see POCSO as an ally rather than a distant, punitive system.
- The Right to Say No
If Khanna’s tone was clarifying, Ms Aishani Narain’s was empowering. Practicing since 2019, Narain has handled constitutional bench cases and currently serves as Honorary Associate Editor at the Supreme Court’s Editorial Branch. Speaking directly to the students, she addressed a quieter but equally significant struggle - the difficulty of saying “no”.
“Temporary discomfort", she reminded them, “should never cost you your confidence or your dignity”. Drawing on her own experience, she reframed legal protection as something deeply personal: the courage to speak, the instinct to trust oneself, and the right to be respected. Narain underscored that the POCSO Act is not an abstraction but a safeguard…crafted to protect children’s dignity step by step.
What made the session especially powerful was the students’ responses. Their questions reached beyond the classroom: Why do protections differ in rural and urban spaces? Why do adults often shut down children’s questions instead of answering them honestly? In engaging with these reflections, both panelists reminded students that consent and boundaries are not lofty legal concepts but everyday rights that each child carries, and which society has a collective duty to uphold.
By the end of the hour, what began as a legal orientation had transformed into something more vital: a conversation about dignity, agency, and courage. In bringing law to life through stories, clarity, and empathy, Khanna and Narain reframed POCSO not merely as a statute but as a promise…one that every child has the right to.
Ms Meghna Joshi
Psychodynamic Counsellor
The Indian School
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