|
The Government is planning to set up a National Commission for Children to safeguard and protect rights of children. To give effect to this proposal the Government will introduce the National Commission for Children Bill in the next Budget Session of Parliament. This was disclosed by the Human Resource Development Minister Shri Arjun Singh to the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry here last night.
The functions of the Commission will include among other things examining and reviewing the safeguard provided by the Constitution for the protection of child rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation. It will examine all factors that inhibit the enjoyment of rights of most vulnerable children affected by terrorism, communal violence, riots, natural disaster, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, mal-treatment, torture and exploitation, pornography and prostitution and recommend appropriate remedial measures.
The proposed commission will have a chairperson and six members, a member secretary and other supporting staff.
Addressing the members, Shri Arjun Singh said that while legal provisions can act as a deterrent to child abuse, the healthy growth of a child mostly depends on the family and societal environment. He also suggested that the committee members should also visit vulnerable areas in the country where child abuse and trafficking is prominent so that they have a feel of the ground realities.
Two other topics namely trafficking of women and children child abuse were discussed at length at the meeting. The Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. Kanti Singh outlined the measures taken by the Government to tackle the problems in this regard. She suggested that the State Governments should also constitute Commissions for Children in line with the National Commission for Children to make it more effective.
Taking part in the deliberations some members suggested that there should be structural changes in the education system so that learning becomes enjoyable and the number of children dropping out from schools is brought down.
The Members of Parliament who attended the Consultative Committee Meeting were Shri Shriniwas D. Patil, Shri Bharatsingh M. Solanki, Shri Harisingh Chavda, Dr. Chinta Mohan, Ms. P. Satheedevi, Shri Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Shri G.M Siddheswara, Shri Kishanbhai V. Patel, Shri C.K Chandrappan and Shri Laxminarayan Sharma.
|
