NCPCR’S FOUNDATION DAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) celebrated its 19th Foundation Day In New Delhi.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

• About: The Commission envisages a rights-based perspective, which flows into national policies and programmes, including defined responses at the state, district and block levels, taking into account the specifics and strengths of each region.
• Statutory body: set up in March 2007 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
• Ministry: It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
• Composition: a chairperson and six members of which at least two should be women.
• Appointment: All of them are appointed by the Central Government for three years.
• Tenure: The maximum age to serve in commission is 65 years for Chairman and 60 years for members.
• Commission's mandate: 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.
• Definition of Child: The Child is defined as a person in the 0 to 18 years age group.
• Power: It inquires into complaints relating to a child's right to free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act, 2009.
• Function:

oExamine and review: The safeguards provided by or under any law for the time being in force for the protection of child rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation.

oReport: Present to be central government, annually and at such other intervals, as the commission may deem fit, reports upon working of those safeguards.

oChildren right: Examine all factors that inhibit the enjoyment of rights of children affected by terrorism, communal violence, riots, natural disaster, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, trafficking, maltreatment, torture and exploitation, pornography and prostitution and recommend appropriate remedial measures.

oChildren special care: Look into the matters relating to the children in need of special care and protection including children in distress, marginalized and disadvantaged children, children in conflict with law, juveniles’ children without family and children of prisoners and recommend appropriate remedial measures. 

oResearch: Undertake and promote research in the field of child rights.