The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), in collaboration with the School Education Department of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, organized a one-day state-level program on child rights at the Tagore Government College of Education auditorium. The workshop focused on key issues including education, juvenile justice, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, drawing participation from government officials, educators, police authorities, and child protection stakeholders.
The program brought together representatives from the District Administration, District Education Officers, School Management Committees, Parent-Teacher Associations, Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, Special Juvenile Police Units, and Child Protection Police Officers to identify actionable measures to strengthen child protection frameworks. Discussions centered on the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and the POCSO Act, 2012.
The inaugural session featured the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and felicitation of dignitaries. In her keynote address, Mahima Lal from NCPCR highlighted the human stories behind child rights cases, stressing that protecting children’s rights is central to the nation’s future. She emphasized the commitment of the Central, State, and UT administrations to safeguard every child and urged stakeholders to raise awareness through training, media campaigns, and workshops. Lal also detailed NCPCR’s recent achievements, noting that over the past six months, the commission disposed of approximately 26,000 cases, rescued over 2,300 children, repatriated more than 1,000 children to their home district child care institutions, and introduced advanced technology to manage child rights cases. She outlined upcoming initiatives, including addressing children’s mental health, developing AI tools to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), and strengthening the implementation of key legislation.
Vikram Singh, Director of the School Education Department, emphasized the workshop’s importance for promoting girls’ empowerment and highlighted education as a tool to break gender stereotypes. He also underlined the significance of Juvenile Justice and POCSO frameworks in protecting children from exploitation, urging all stakeholders to strengthen awareness, enforcement, and sensitivity in handling child rights matters. Uma Shankar, Superintendent of Police (Training School), also attended the event.
The technical sessions addressed three thematic areas: accountability frameworks in schools presented by Rubina Khatib Siddiqui, safe and secure school environments discussed by Mahima Lal, and gaps in Juvenile Justice and POCSO implementation presented by Jyoti Chhatwal from the Anti-Trafficking Unit. The discussions stressed institutional strengthening, training of functionaries, and inter-departmental collaboration.
Key recommendations from the workshop included addressing staffing and infrastructure gaps in Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards, improving reporting and trial mechanisms under POCSO, ensuring compliance with NCPCR’s school safety guidelines, enhancing cyber-safety measures, and strengthening coordination to prevent child trafficking.
Established in 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, NCPCR serves as India’s apex body to monitor and protect child rights across all sectors, operating under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
