Explanation:

This question requires specific factual knowledge regarding the commencement date of a significant amendment to a crucial piece of legislation, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019, introduced several key changes, most notably enhancing penalties for various offenses, including the introduction of the death penalty for aggravated penetrative sexual assault against children. For an Act to come into force, it typically needs to receive presidential assent and be published in the Official Gazette. The date of publication in the Gazette often marks its commencement, unless a different date is specified. Let's analyze the options: * **Option (1) 5th August, 2019:** This is the correct answer. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, 2019, received the assent of the President on August 5, 2019, and was published in the Gazette of India on the same date. Consequently, it came into force on 5th August 2019. This date is crucial for determining the applicability of the amended provisions to offenses committed on or after this date. * **Option (2) 16th August, 2019:** This date is incorrect. While it falls within the same month, it does not correspond to the official date of commencement of the POCSO (Amendment) Act, 2019. The Act was already in force by this date. * **Option (3) 26th August, 2019:** This date is also incorrect. Similar to option (2), it is a date after the actual commencement of the Act and does not hold legal significance as its effective date. * **Option (4) 6th August, 2019:** This date is incorrect. It is one day after the actual commencement date. The Act became effective on the day it received presidential assent and was gazetted, which was August 5, 2019. Therefore, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, 2019, officially came into force on 5th August, 2019, making option (1) the correct answer.