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National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

Topics Covered: Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR):

Context:

Supreme Court is suo motu examining ways to protect children who have suffered personal loss and trauma due to the pandemic.

  • In this regard, On May 28, the Court directed the Centre to state welfare measures for the children orphaned by the pandemic.
  • The NCPCR and the States were also asked to compile data identifying children in need of immediate care.

Based on Bal Swaraj, an online tracking portal, NCPCR made the following submissions:

  1. Nearly 10,000 children in the country are in immediate need of care and protection.
  2. They include children aged between zero and 17 orphaned or abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.
  3. These children ran a high risk of being pushed into trafficking and flesh trade.

Need for special attention:

The cataclysmic COVID-19 pandemic devastated the vulnerable sections of society. There are a number of children who have become orphans due to the demise of either the breadwinner of the family or of both their parents. These children need immediate and special attention from the authorities.

About NCPCR:

  • Set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005.
  • It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
  • The Commission’s Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Under the RTE Act, 2009, the NCPCR can:

  1. inquire into complaints about violation of the law.
  2. summon an individual and demand evidence.
  3. seek a magisterial enquiry.
  4. file a writ petition in the High Court or Supreme Court.
  5. approach the government concerned for prosecution of the offender.
  6. recommend interim relief to those affected.

Composition:

This commission has a chairperson and six members of which at least two should be women.

  1. All of them are appointed by Central Government for three years.
  2. The maximum age to serve in commission is 65 years for Chairman and 60 years for members.

 

Insta Curious:

  1. Related to Child Right & Protection: Do you know there is no Central law banning corporal punishment? Different States, however, have enacted laws or made policies to ban it. Read Here

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. NCPCR- composition and functions.
  2. Powers of NCPCR under RTE Act.
  3. Highlights of RTE Act.
  4. Children covered under RTE.
  5. About Bal Swaraj.

Sources: the Hindu.