New Delhi, Oct. 10 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant has warned that children in conflict with the law could face lasting digital stigma, stressing the need to destroy old records promptly and keep their identities out of media coverage and online platforms.

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Consultation on ten years of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the CJI emphasised that rehabilitation must go beyond institutional care and ensure that children can return to their families, schools and communities without facing stigma.

He said the reintegration of children into society was an essential part of rehabilitation, adding that records should be destroyed on time to prevent their identities and past cases from remaining...