New Delhi, July 6 -- In a major push to strengthen protection mechanisms for children, the Delhi government has directed that Child Protection Committees be established in all 5,633 schools across the Capital by the end of July, while ordering a citywide expansion of POCSO awareness programmes, mandatory safety protocols and joint school inspections.
The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting on Monday chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at Raj Niwas to assess the progress of initiatives being undertaken as part of the ongoing Child Protection Month.
The meeting, attended by senior officials including the Chief Secretary, Commissioner of Police, Secretaries of the Education and Women and Child Development Departments and senior Delhi Police officers, reviewed measures being implemented by various departments to improve child safety across schools and institutions.
The Education Department informed the meeting that a comprehensive student safety checklist, based on guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the POCSO Act, is being implemented across all 5,633 schools, including government, aided, MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board and private schools.
Teachers, school staff and master trainers are being trained under the POCSO Act, while students are receiving awareness sessions on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation and personal boundaries. Self-defence training and special safety measures for children with special needs are also being introduced.
Delhi Police informed the meeting that dedicated initiatives are underway for the safety of schoolchildren, missing children, children in parks, JJ clusters, orphanages and Child Care Institutions. Each district has designated an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police as the nodal officer to monitor POCSO-related cases and coordinate action.
The Women and Child Development Department presented its plan to expand POCSO awareness campaigns to Anganwadi-cum-Palna Centres, linked centres and all Child Care Institutions using mobile awareness vans, videos and printed material.
Reviewing the progress, the Lieutenant Governor said, "There is no room for complacency in ensuring a safe and sensitive environment for every child." He directed that child protection initiatives should become a permanent feature of all institutions rather than remain limited to July.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, "The government will build a strong system to ensure every child in the Capital grows up in a safe and secure environment." She added that all departments must implement the initiatives within the prescribed timelines through close coordination.
The meeting also directed the constitution of joint inspection teams comprising parents, education officials, police, Women and Child Development representatives and school heads to inspect schools. It further ordered completion of master trainer training during July, implementation of a standard operating procedure for handling POCSO cases in every school, submission of safety compliance certificates and expanded awareness campaigns through Parent-Teacher Meetings and other outreach platforms. Counselling and rehabilitation for first-time juvenile offenders were also emphasised.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.