India
233. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of two boys by unidentified
perpetrators. The United Nations is reviewing reports of the use of three boys by
Indian security forces for less than 24 hours.
234. Four children were detained by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir
for alleged association with armed groups.
235. A total of 39 children (33 boys, 6 girls) were killed (9) and maimed (30) by
pellet guns (11) and torture (2) by unidentified perpetrators (13) (including resulting
from explosive remnants of war (7), crossfire between unidentified armed groups and
Indian security forces (3), crossfire between unidentified armed groups, and grenade
attacks (3)), Indian security forces (13), and crossfire and shelling across the line of
control (13).
236. The United Nations verified the use of seven schools by Indian security forces
for four months. Schools were vacated by the end of 2020.

237. The United Nations did not verify grave violations in the context of the Naxalite
insurgency.
Developments and concerns
238. I welcome the positive engagement of the Government with my Special
Representative to put in place national preventive and accountability measures for all
grave violations.
239. I remain concerned by grave violations against children in Jammu and Kashmir
and call upon the Government to take preventive measures to protect children,
including by ending the use of pellets against children, ensuring that children are not
associated in any way to security forces, and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration
and the Vancouver Principles. I am alarmed at the detention and torture of children
and concerned by the military use of schools. I urge the Government to ensure that
children are detained as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period
of time, and to prevent all forms of ill-treatment in detention. I also urge the
Government to ensure the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection
of Children) Act, 2015, to address the use of children for illegal activities and the
situation of detained children.