35 million Indian children in need of care and protection: Kanth

From our correspondent

Itagar, May 22: Around 35 million children in India are in need of care and protection and need to be socially integrated back home, observed Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) chairperson, Amod K Kanth here Friday.“There are ten different categories of children required to be taken care of by government and organizations through Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) 2000,” Kanth said while addressing a day-long workshop on JJA (Care and Protection) with special emphasis on ICPS.

Referring to official data Kanth, who is also the former DGP of Aruchal Pradesh, disclosed that around 27-30 lakh IPC crimes were committed annually in India and out of which around 38 thousand related to children.“Out of this about 3-5 thousand serious crime are committed by children,” he added.

Kanth, also the general secretary of Delhi-based Prayas Jubenile Aid Centre (JAC) Society further disclosed that after the Nirbhaya incident, where an accused was juvenile, there was demand from across the country to make necessary amendment in the Juvenile Justice Act to bring down the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 so that trial for serious offender could be done in normal court. Stating that the components of ICPS were just an extension of the JJA, the former cop informed that component of grants for implementing ICPS in NE states include 10 per cent share by the state government and 90 per cent from the Centre.

Referring to improper implementation of ICPS in the country, he reasoned that because of low budget, child protection scheme is a low priority in the country. “As per the JJA, every district in the country should constitute Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The judge for JJBs will be appointed by High Court,” he said.

Stressing on the need to appoint child welfare officer and juvenile welfare officer in each police stations, Kanth said that ICPS is a powerful scheme for the children in need of care and protection which, is integrated with legal process.He also expressed concern on presence of only one child helpline among 20 districts of the state and urged upon the voluntary organisations to play an important role in implementing ICPS in the state.IGP Nobin Paying in his address outlined the role of police in dealing with juvenile crimes and the children who are in need of care and protection. Earlier, general secretary of Indian Council for Child Welfare, Aruchal Pradesh unit Mepung Tadar Bage informed that in Aruchal Pradesh except for the constitution of JJB and CWCs, the ICPS was not fully implemented.

“Under the ICPS, Aruchal Pradesh State Child Protection Society was registered during June 2012 but no further headway was made,” she pointed out.She said, as per the annual report of the Aruchal Pradesh State Commission for women (APSCW), CWC of capital complex and Childline Itagar, there is a growing rise of children in need of care and protection.“One the most disturbing and a major violation of child’s rights, is the practice of child marriages which was a norm in many tribes and groups and continuous to be so. The total number of child marriage cases as per APSCW from 2011to 2014 is 49 cases,” she pointed out.

“Although there has been a decline with the prevalent laws and Women Commission at its service the state still has many challenges in ensuring the rights of the child. The State Commission for protection of Child rights is appendage to the State Commission for Women,” she said.“In Aruchal Pradesh child right has been a priority to a certain extend in the field of education and medical facility, however there are many children who still not have the basic rights, a safe home, right to childhood, right to be safe, right to be protected from harm,” she added.