19th Foundation Day of NCPCR

General Studies Paper -2

Context: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) celebrated its 19th Foundation Day on 12th March, 2024.

About

• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR was established in 2007under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.
• The commission’s mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programs and administrative systems conform to the vision of the rights of the child as enunciated in the Constitution of India as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 
• A child is defined as a person falling in the age group of 0 to 18 years.
• Functions of NCPCR:NCPCR is constantly broadening the range of activities that can be undertaken such as developing new strategies for better monitoring, developing step-by-step processes to enable the authorities to carry out their duties.
• It also includes preparing policy frameworks, using digital technology for improving the monitoring process, undertaking research studies, and first hand investigation on matters of serious nature.

What rights do Children Have?

• Child rights elaborate upon the do’s and don’ts of dealing with children and matters related to them.
• These needs or requirements of children have been broadly divided into four areas or categories- survival, development, protection and participation.

Constitutional Rights of Children in India

• The Constitution of India guarantees all children certain rights these include:

• Right to free and compulsory elementary education for all children in the 6-14 year age group (Article 21 A).
• Right to be protected from any hazardous employment till the age of 14 years (Article 24).
• Right to be protected from being abused and forced by economic necessity to enter occupations unsuited to their age or strength (Article 39(e)).
• Right to equal opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and guaranteed protection of childhood and youth against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment (Article 39 (f)).

India have following major Acts for children:

• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
• Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
• Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009
• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016
• Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006
• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.