Etah Police have been directed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to examine allegations concerning the use of minor children in politically charged videos uploaded to Instagram by an account associated with a purported coaching centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district. The Commission has also issued notices to Meta India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), bringing the children’s safety, privacy and alleged exploitation into focus.
The NHRC took cognisance of a complaint submitted by the Sewa Nyaya Uthhan Foundation on September 28. According to the complaint, children were allegedly scripted, prompted and repeatedly made to appear in videos containing abusive, derogatory and political statements. The videos were reportedly uploaded through the Instagram account “Pratibha_edu_squad”.
Etah Police have been specifically asked to identify the children appearing in the videos and assess whether they require protection, counselling or other assistance. The NHRC has said that, wherever warranted, the children should be produced before the competent Child Welfare Committee for an assessment of their care, safety and well-being. Their identities and privacy are also to be protected during the proceedings.
The case follows a report concerning Pratibha, described as a home tutor, whose Instagram account had attracted attention because of videos featuring young students making political remarks. The earlier report also questioned the accuracy of an “IAS” designation appearing in the account’s bio, noting that publicly available information did not establish that she had cleared the civil services examination. Those claims remain separate from the NHRC proceedings and would require verification through appropriate authorities.
Etah Police have also been directed to establish who operates or controls the social-media account and to examine the involvement of adults in scripting, recording, uploading, circulating or otherwise facilitating the videos. The Commission specifically mentioned the possible roles of parents, guardians, tuition operators and other adults. The direction is significant because the central concern identified by the NHRC is not simply the political content itself, but the alleged involvement of minors in producing and distributing such material.
The Commission has further directed Etah Police to examine the digital material and determine whether any cognisable offence has been committed. If the investigation discloses an offence, the NHRC has directed that an FIR be registered and the matter investigated under applicable provisions of laws including the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. The precise offences, if any, will depend on the findings of the investigation rather than the allegations alone.
Etah Police have also been instructed to ensure that children are not made to participate in similar derogatory or abusive videos in the future. The Commission has sought an Action Taken Report detailing the number and ages of children identified, protective and counselling measures, the people operating or producing the content, any FIR or other action taken, and steps concerning preservation or removal of the disputed digital material.
The NHRC has separately sought answers from Meta India regarding the Instagram account and the videos involving minors. Meta has been asked to explain how the material was uploaded and repeatedly circulated, what steps were taken to restrict or remove it, whether the content generated any financial benefit and how account-registration information was preserved. The questions place the platform’s child-safety and content-moderation responsibilities under scrutiny.
Etah Police are not the only authorities involved. The NHRC has also asked MeitY to examine the allegations concerning children, particularly claims that some came from socially and economically vulnerable backgrounds. The ministry has been asked to examine the platform’s due-diligence, child-safety and grievance-redressal mechanisms and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks.
The controversy highlights a broader challenge created when minors become participants in social-media content carrying political messages. While political expression is protected in democratic discourse, the use of children in such material raises additional questions about consent, privacy, psychological welfare and adult responsibility. Those questions become particularly important when children may be too young to understand the political statements they are being asked to repeat.
For now, the NHRC proceedings do not themselves establish criminal liability. Etah Police have been tasked with investigating the allegations, identifying the individuals involved and determining whether the available evidence discloses offences. The responses from Meta and MeitY, along with the police Action Taken Report, are expected to provide further clarity on what occurred, who was responsible and what safeguards were in place.