Suddenly this girl's name has raised the pulse of Nation. Who is this girl? What is happened to her? How she became the victim of Child abuse? how a power police officer diluted the scene and made the mockery of law? now what would be the next strategies of the government officials and Judiciary toward the Rathore, the culprit? what punishment he really deserve? and many similar queries surfaced in front of whole nation. Thanks to media, which gave the issue the required edge! A very genuine concern germinates in a layman's mind that how to react in this issue. Was this incidence was unique to Indian psyche or this kind of child molestation case is very common in this country. No body knows how many more Ruchikas are being victimised daily by the powerful Rathores in our prosperous Indian Nation. Only God knows the real answer.
Child molestation is a danger kind of Child abuse, is not a new concept. But we don't know when the duty bearers of this country will understand the seriousness of this issue and would do some thing more concrete. Our lawmakers should understand that use of government machinery must be for the welfare of victims but not in the support of culprits and especially when the culprit is a Public Servant like Rathore.
CHILD RIGHTS ADVOCATES demand a high level inquiry in this case. Let the truth come, not only to ensure justice to the family of Ruchika, which they deserve at its earliest, but to probe the mis-use of government machinery, the favoritism given to the culprit Rathore by any specific Party or an Ex-chief minister. Let the naked truth come in front of nation. Let the powerful feel the heat of Judicial Machinery and Rule of Law, if it is still existing in this country.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Children's Rights Still Violated 20 Years After UN Convention on Child Rights
Nations are staging special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on November 20, 1989.
Lisa Schlein | Geneva 20 November 2009
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools, they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Nations are staging special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on November 20, 1989. It is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. Every country in the world, with the exception of the United States and Somalia, has ratified it. In pre-Convention days, most of the world thought children should be seen and not heard. Now, 20 years later, some children are making their voices heard. But most remain silent and their human rights continue to be violated.
"I want to have my rights and I want to defend those who don't have a voice to say no," says 12 year old Tracy from Lebanon. She is one of 23 children chosen from 16 countries to come to Geneva to participate in workshops, debates and other events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention. Tracy is an active member of the Children's Council of World Vision in Lebanon and understands the problems children face in her country.
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools," she says, "they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Sixteen-year old Fredrica says children's rights in her country, Sierra Leone, are being violated. Their situation is going from bad to worse every day.
"So many things are happening to us that is against the rights and when the Convention on the Rights of the Child puts laws, most of these laws have been violated every day," she says. "So, many violence, cases of child trafficking… Every day things are going bad, bad, bad and bad. But, we just hope that things get better for all the children living in Sierra Leone and also in Africa."
Cara is 17 and part of Planned Canada's Youth Action Council. It's an organization that works with children, families and communities to improve conditions in the developing world. Cara says she feels a special responsibility to speak out on behalf of disadvantaged children because she comes from a country that has a stable government, and a good educational and health system.
"I feel that it is my responsibility because I have the resources to help other children around the world who don't have a voice and who don't have their rights respected to really speak up for them and try to help them in any way I can."
Cara notes many adults don't know children have rights. She feels duty bound to inform them, as well as the children, of their rights.
"Because the children need to know how to protect themselves, how to stick up for themselves and fight for what is right. And, the adults need to know," she says. "It's just as important for them to know so that we gain their support. Because us alone, we are limited to do so much, but us together, if we work together to fight for child rights, then we can really have success."
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, super-model, Claudia Schiffer, actor, Ewen McGregor and Hollywood actress, Mia Farrow have been advocating for the rights of children for years. They are trying to make life better for them. So is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
"With the adoption of the Convention by the General Assembly two-decades ago," she says, "the international community unanimously recognized for the first time in history that children, both girls and boys alike, are not simply the property of their parents or of their care givers, but individual rights-holders."
Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Saad Houry, calls the Convention a milestone, but notes the reality does not always live up to the document's vision of a world made safe for all children. He says millions of children remain excluded from that dream.
"Despite remarkable economic growth in scores of countries over the past 20 years, shocking disparities are also growing, with the poorest children left further behind."
Much remains to be done to ensure children's rights are being respected. Nevertheless, young people all over the world clutch onto their dreams and believe they can turn them into reality.
Despite the success of the Convention in raising awareness of children's rights worldwide, one of the largest and most influential countries in the world has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United States has not approved the Convention because it fears government interference in family life and the possible loss of its sovereign rights.
Also, many of the countries that have ratified the Convention have not taken any measures to implement the laws.
Supression of children's rights and the abuse of children remain major worldwide problems.
Lisa Schlein | Geneva 20 November 2009
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools, they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Nations are staging special events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which came into force on November 20, 1989. It is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty. Every country in the world, with the exception of the United States and Somalia, has ratified it. In pre-Convention days, most of the world thought children should be seen and not heard. Now, 20 years later, some children are making their voices heard. But most remain silent and their human rights continue to be violated.
"I want to have my rights and I want to defend those who don't have a voice to say no," says 12 year old Tracy from Lebanon. She is one of 23 children chosen from 16 countries to come to Geneva to participate in workshops, debates and other events to mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention. Tracy is an active member of the Children's Council of World Vision in Lebanon and understands the problems children face in her country.
"One of these problems is children's physical abuse. In schools," she says, "they hit children, in their houses. And, the other is the sexual abuse."
Sixteen-year old Fredrica says children's rights in her country, Sierra Leone, are being violated. Their situation is going from bad to worse every day.
"So many things are happening to us that is against the rights and when the Convention on the Rights of the Child puts laws, most of these laws have been violated every day," she says. "So, many violence, cases of child trafficking… Every day things are going bad, bad, bad and bad. But, we just hope that things get better for all the children living in Sierra Leone and also in Africa."
Cara is 17 and part of Planned Canada's Youth Action Council. It's an organization that works with children, families and communities to improve conditions in the developing world. Cara says she feels a special responsibility to speak out on behalf of disadvantaged children because she comes from a country that has a stable government, and a good educational and health system.
"I feel that it is my responsibility because I have the resources to help other children around the world who don't have a voice and who don't have their rights respected to really speak up for them and try to help them in any way I can."
Cara notes many adults don't know children have rights. She feels duty bound to inform them, as well as the children, of their rights.
"Because the children need to know how to protect themselves, how to stick up for themselves and fight for what is right. And, the adults need to know," she says. "It's just as important for them to know so that we gain their support. Because us alone, we are limited to do so much, but us together, if we work together to fight for child rights, then we can really have success."
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, super-model, Claudia Schiffer, actor, Ewen McGregor and Hollywood actress, Mia Farrow have been advocating for the rights of children for years. They are trying to make life better for them. So is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
"With the adoption of the Convention by the General Assembly two-decades ago," she says, "the international community unanimously recognized for the first time in history that children, both girls and boys alike, are not simply the property of their parents or of their care givers, but individual rights-holders."
Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Saad Houry, calls the Convention a milestone, but notes the reality does not always live up to the document's vision of a world made safe for all children. He says millions of children remain excluded from that dream.
"Despite remarkable economic growth in scores of countries over the past 20 years, shocking disparities are also growing, with the poorest children left further behind."
Much remains to be done to ensure children's rights are being respected. Nevertheless, young people all over the world clutch onto their dreams and believe they can turn them into reality.
Despite the success of the Convention in raising awareness of children's rights worldwide, one of the largest and most influential countries in the world has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The United States has not approved the Convention because it fears government interference in family life and the possible loss of its sovereign rights.
Also, many of the countries that have ratified the Convention have not taken any measures to implement the laws.
Supression of children's rights and the abuse of children remain major worldwide problems.
UNICEF chief calls for end of "unspeakable violations" against children
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The "unspeakable violations" that happen almost everyday to children all across the globe need to be a thing of the past, chief of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ann Veneman said here on Friday.
In her remarks on the occasion to mark the Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the UN headquarters in New York, Veneman said: "Let us remember the unspeakable violations of rights that occur almost daily to the most innocent of innocents, children."
Saying that much has been achieved in the past 20 years, Veneman underscored that the annual rate of under age five deaths fell to 28 percent, 1.6 billion people worldwide gained access to improved water sources between 1990 and 2006, and that the gender gap has narrowed where more children attend primary school than previously.
"Children are no longer the missing face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic," she said, adding that advances have also been made in child protection in the face of child soldiers, prostitution and early marriage.
"Yet, much more remains to be done," Veneman warned. "That an estimated 8.8 million children continue to die before they celebrate their fifth birthday is simply unacceptable."
She named preventable diseases, like pneumonia and malaria, as well as malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, lack of healthcare resources and protection against violence and exploitation, as some of the many culprits to children.
Speaking about her personal experiences, Veneman said, "I have spoken to girls in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sexual violence, pillaging, burning of homes and killing define their daily lives."
"I have met boys who were abducted from their families and forced to wage war in their own countries, sometimes even in their own communities," she said.
"The world must build on the progress achieved to ensure that stories such as theirs become part of the past," Veneman said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child, which initiated actions aimed at benefiting and promoting the welfare of children worldwide.
Twenty years have passed, too, since the same assembly got a Convention on the Rights of the Child signed to clearly establish the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children.
Now, 193 countries have ratified that convention, making it one of the most endorsed conventions in the world.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-21 07:17:30
In her remarks on the occasion to mark the Universal Children's Day and the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the UN headquarters in New York, Veneman said: "Let us remember the unspeakable violations of rights that occur almost daily to the most innocent of innocents, children."
Saying that much has been achieved in the past 20 years, Veneman underscored that the annual rate of under age five deaths fell to 28 percent, 1.6 billion people worldwide gained access to improved water sources between 1990 and 2006, and that the gender gap has narrowed where more children attend primary school than previously.
"Children are no longer the missing face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic," she said, adding that advances have also been made in child protection in the face of child soldiers, prostitution and early marriage.
"Yet, much more remains to be done," Veneman warned. "That an estimated 8.8 million children continue to die before they celebrate their fifth birthday is simply unacceptable."
She named preventable diseases, like pneumonia and malaria, as well as malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, lack of healthcare resources and protection against violence and exploitation, as some of the many culprits to children.
Speaking about her personal experiences, Veneman said, "I have spoken to girls in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where sexual violence, pillaging, burning of homes and killing define their daily lives."
"I have met boys who were abducted from their families and forced to wage war in their own countries, sometimes even in their own communities," she said.
"The world must build on the progress achieved to ensure that stories such as theirs become part of the past," Veneman said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child, which initiated actions aimed at benefiting and promoting the welfare of children worldwide.
Twenty years have passed, too, since the same assembly got a Convention on the Rights of the Child signed to clearly establish the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children.
Now, 193 countries have ratified that convention, making it one of the most endorsed conventions in the world.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-21 07:17:30
Special report: Global News Day for Children
Physical or emotional abuse during childhood could speed up the body's ageing process, US research suggests
A team from Brown University focused on telomeres, the protective caps on the chromosomes that keep a cell's DNA stable but shorten with age.
They found the telomeres of 31 people who had reported abuse as children tended to shorten more rapidly, speeding up cells' ageing process.
Experts cautioned that the study needed to be replicated on a larger scale.
The study is featured in Biological Psychiatry.
Lead researcher Dr Audrey Tyrka said: "It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level."
Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.
They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling.
Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse
Dr Audrey Tyrka
Brown University
Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten and the cell becomes more susceptible to dying.
Previous research has found that telomeres shorten at an accelerated rate when exposed to toxins such as radiation and cigarette smoke.
There has also been work suggesting that psychiatric problems and stress could have a similar effect.
The latest study suggests psychological trauma early in life could store up similar problems for the future.
The researchers concentrated on people who although reporting abuse in childhood were otherwise healthy and had no signs of current or past psychiatric disorders.
Dr Tyrka said more work was needed to pin down the exact impact of childhood stress on cellular ageing.
The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress
Professor Tim Spector
King's College London
She said: "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet.
"Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse.
"But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Shorter telomere lengths have been linked to a variety of ageing-related medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
For this study, the scientists looked at 22 women and nine men.
Some subjects reported happy childhoods, while others reported emotional, physical or sexual abuse or neglect.
Professor Tim Spector, an expert on telomeres and ageing based at King's College London, said: "The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress.
"However, many different adverse environments are known to reduce telomeres - such as cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and social class as well as genes.
"In such a small sample such as this - any of these could actually be responsible rather than the abuse - so it needs replication on a much bigger scale."
By courtesy and special thanks to BBC news
They found the telomeres of 31 people who had reported abuse as children tended to shorten more rapidly, speeding up cells' ageing process.
Experts cautioned that the study needed to be replicated on a larger scale.
The study is featured in Biological Psychiatry.
Lead researcher Dr Audrey Tyrka said: "It gives us a hint that early developmental experiences may have profound effects on biology that can influence cellular mechanisms at a very basic level."
Telomeres are relatively short sections of specialised DNA that sit at the ends of all our chromosomes.
They have been compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unravelling.
Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse
Dr Audrey Tyrka
Brown University
Each time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten and the cell becomes more susceptible to dying.
Previous research has found that telomeres shorten at an accelerated rate when exposed to toxins such as radiation and cigarette smoke.
There has also been work suggesting that psychiatric problems and stress could have a similar effect.
The latest study suggests psychological trauma early in life could store up similar problems for the future.
The researchers concentrated on people who although reporting abuse in childhood were otherwise healthy and had no signs of current or past psychiatric disorders.
Dr Tyrka said more work was needed to pin down the exact impact of childhood stress on cellular ageing.
The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress
Professor Tim Spector
King's College London
She said: "We don't know what the full implications of this are yet.
"Shorter telomere lengths are linked to ageing and certain diseases, so it is possible that this is a mechanism of risk for illness following childhood abuse.
"But the precise role of telomeres in this process remains to be determined."
Shorter telomere lengths have been linked to a variety of ageing-related medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.
For this study, the scientists looked at 22 women and nine men.
Some subjects reported happy childhoods, while others reported emotional, physical or sexual abuse or neglect.
Professor Tim Spector, an expert on telomeres and ageing based at King's College London, said: "The study and resulting theory is plausible as researchers have found previous telomere links with chronic stress.
"However, many different adverse environments are known to reduce telomeres - such as cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and social class as well as genes.
"In such a small sample such as this - any of these could actually be responsible rather than the abuse - so it needs replication on a much bigger scale."
By courtesy and special thanks to BBC news
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Long Live Independence Day
Our Independence came after a heavy price we paid for it. The 200 years of illegal occupation by the Imperialist Britishers and their divisive policies of Divide and Rule in the name of religion, language, caste and ethnicity was mainly responsible for the Partition of India. Millions of people including women and children were butchered in the name of partition riot. And the children were the worst victim. So on this remembrance day we should pledge that we will try to ensure the peace and safety to children of India and the world from the conflict and disputes situation. We must work for communal harmony in the India and world. Then only our children can enjoy full fervor of Independence day.
१५ अगस्त अमर रहे
भारत की आज़ादी अमर रहे
CRA का नारा है
हर एक बच्चा प्यारा है
१५ अगस्त अमर रहे
भारत की आज़ादी अमर रहे
CRA का नारा है
हर एक बच्चा प्यारा है
Saturday, August 01, 2009
History of Child Rights in Twentieth century
In the early twentieth century, moves began to promote the idea of children’s rights as distinct form those of adults and as requiring explicit recognition. The Polish educationalist Janusz Korczk wrote of the rights of children in his book ‘How to love child (Warsaw, 1919); a later book was entitled the Child Right to respect (Warsaw, 1929). In 1917, following the Russian Revolution, the Moscow branch of the organization Proletkult produced a Declaration of Children’s Rights. However, the first effective attempt to promote children’s rights was the Declaration of the rights of the Child, drafted by Eglantyne Jebb in 1923 and adopted by the League of Nations in 1924. This was accepted by the United Nation son its formation and updated in 1959, and replaced with a more extensive UN convention on the rights of the Child in 1989.
From the formation of the United Nation in the 1940s and extending to present day, the Children’s Rights Movement has become global in focus. Children around the world have increasingly become engaged in illegal, forced child labor, genital mutilation, military service, and sex trafficking. Several international organizations have rallied to the assistance of the children. They include Save the Children, Free the Children, and the Children’s Defense Fund.
The Child Rights Information network, or CRIN, formed in 1983, is the group of 2000 non-governmental organization from around the world, which advocate for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Organization’s report on the countries’ progress towards implementation, as do governments that have ratified the Convention. Every 5 years reporting to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is required for Government.
From the formation of the United Nation in the 1940s and extending to present day, the Children’s Rights Movement has become global in focus. Children around the world have increasingly become engaged in illegal, forced child labor, genital mutilation, military service, and sex trafficking. Several international organizations have rallied to the assistance of the children. They include Save the Children, Free the Children, and the Children’s Defense Fund.
The Child Rights Information network, or CRIN, formed in 1983, is the group of 2000 non-governmental organization from around the world, which advocate for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Organization’s report on the countries’ progress towards implementation, as do governments that have ratified the Convention. Every 5 years reporting to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is required for Government.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Twelve years old girl's body found hanging from tree in West Bengal
A 12-year-old girl was on Sunday found hanging by the neck in a bamboo grove near her residence in Nadia district of West Bengal, police said.
Police said the body of the girl, a class 6 student of a Muragacha Subodhoni High School, was found to be without clothes and suspended about six inches above the ground.
"This is an incident of murder. We can't say if the girl was sexually assaulted. That can only be said after the post-mortem examination report and other necessary forensic tests," Superintendent of Police (Nadia) H. Kusumakar said.
He said: "The family members of the victim have not mentioned any name of the suspects. We are investigating the case now."
According to sources, the girl had left her Bahirgachi home Saturday evening to attend a wedding ceremony in the neighbourhood. When she did not return home, her father began a search but could find no clue about the whereabouts of the girl.
Late in the night, he lodged a complaint with the local Nagasipara police station that his daughter was missing, police said.
Later the locals spotted the girl's body in the bamboo grove on Sunday morning.
By courtesy The Times of India
IANS 26 July 2009, 09:05pm IST
Police said the body of the girl, a class 6 student of a Muragacha Subodhoni High School, was found to be without clothes and suspended about six inches above the ground.
"This is an incident of murder. We can't say if the girl was sexually assaulted. That can only be said after the post-mortem examination report and other necessary forensic tests," Superintendent of Police (Nadia) H. Kusumakar said.
He said: "The family members of the victim have not mentioned any name of the suspects. We are investigating the case now."
According to sources, the girl had left her Bahirgachi home Saturday evening to attend a wedding ceremony in the neighbourhood. When she did not return home, her father began a search but could find no clue about the whereabouts of the girl.
Late in the night, he lodged a complaint with the local Nagasipara police station that his daughter was missing, police said.
Later the locals spotted the girl's body in the bamboo grove on Sunday morning.
By courtesy The Times of India
IANS 26 July 2009, 09:05pm IST
Sunday, July 12, 2009
A union minister see no harm if child artists work in TV serials
New Delhi, July 11 (IANS)
Despite a ban by the Maharashtra government, Information and Boradcasting Minister Ambika Soni says she has no problems with child artists featuring in TV serials as long as their studies are not affected.
'There is no problem with child stars featuring in serials, because after all, parents are the best judge of their children,' Soni told CNN-IBN in an interview.
'If parents are okay with it and the children are continuing their studies alongside, what is the problem with them performing in serials?' she asked.
javascript:void(0)
'I think parents are the best judge. So long as their studies don't suffer and parents have no problem I don't know why any notice has been served. Parents are the best decision makers,' she said.
Last month, the Maharastra government had issued notices to several production houses, warning them against violating the Child Labour Act by using children in their TV shows.
The state labour department had pulled up these production houses for violating provisions of the Act under which child artistes should get one hour rest after every three hours of shooting. Also, their studies should not be affected. If found guilty, the production houses may have to cough up Rs.10,000 in fine or face imprisonment of up to six months.
Soni has said that she would review the notices already issued.
Source: by courtesy from yahoo.
Despite a ban by the Maharashtra government, Information and Boradcasting Minister Ambika Soni says she has no problems with child artists featuring in TV serials as long as their studies are not affected.
'There is no problem with child stars featuring in serials, because after all, parents are the best judge of their children,' Soni told CNN-IBN in an interview.
'If parents are okay with it and the children are continuing their studies alongside, what is the problem with them performing in serials?' she asked.
javascript:void(0)
'I think parents are the best judge. So long as their studies don't suffer and parents have no problem I don't know why any notice has been served. Parents are the best decision makers,' she said.
Last month, the Maharastra government had issued notices to several production houses, warning them against violating the Child Labour Act by using children in their TV shows.
The state labour department had pulled up these production houses for violating provisions of the Act under which child artistes should get one hour rest after every three hours of shooting. Also, their studies should not be affected. If found guilty, the production houses may have to cough up Rs.10,000 in fine or face imprisonment of up to six months.
Soni has said that she would review the notices already issued.
Source: by courtesy from yahoo.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Save the Children demands new legislation to end the child labour
New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The new United Progressive Alliance government must introduce a bill to prohibit all forms of child labour in the country within the first 100 days, a child rights organisation said Friday.
“In its plan of action for the first 100 days in power, the Ministry of Labour and Employment must bring in a new bill to prohibit all forms of child labour upto 14 years,” said Vakil Miller, of NGO Save the Children.
The appeal came on the occasion of International Labour Organisation Day Friday. India has over 12 million children involved in labour, according to government figures.
According to Miller, the government needs to revamp the national child labour project which has not been effective in the past years in removing children from the labour force and rehabilitating them.
“The new government must make investments required to end the scourge of child labour.
“Much before the government sets out to restructure the education system, it is critical for it to tackle the question of child labour as India is one of the countries with highest figures in child labour,” added Miller.
There are 13 million children below 14 years engaged in child labour across the world.
“In its plan of action for the first 100 days in power, the Ministry of Labour and Employment must bring in a new bill to prohibit all forms of child labour upto 14 years,” said Vakil Miller, of NGO Save the Children.
The appeal came on the occasion of International Labour Organisation Day Friday. India has over 12 million children involved in labour, according to government figures.
According to Miller, the government needs to revamp the national child labour project which has not been effective in the past years in removing children from the labour force and rehabilitating them.
“The new government must make investments required to end the scourge of child labour.
“Much before the government sets out to restructure the education system, it is critical for it to tackle the question of child labour as India is one of the countries with highest figures in child labour,” added Miller.
There are 13 million children below 14 years engaged in child labour across the world.
90 civil society organisations across Karnataka have joined hands to end rampant child labour in the state.
Bangalore, Feb 23 (IANS) In a first of its kind attempt in the country, 90 civil society organisations across Karnataka have joined hands to end rampant child labour in the state.
The Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), a nation-wide network to eliminate child labour, took the lead in launching the initiative.
The Civil Society Initiatives for Elimination of Child Labour was launched in August 2008.
“The aim of the exercise is to educate and involve society through various civilian groups about the scourge of child labour. In a way we want to involve the entire society in eradicating the inhuman practice of engaging child labour in various sectors,” V. Susheela, convener of the Karnataka chapter of CACL, told IANS.
“Our latest initiative has borne positive results as 90 civil society groups have become members of our campaign in the past seven months. These groups are working in tandem in stopping children from being employed in various sectors across the state. The civil society groups are also involved in advocacy and opinion building against child labour,” Susheela added.
Some of the civil society groups which have joined hands with CACL are Bangalore Hotel Owners’ Association, Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ Association, Karnataka Truck Owners’ Association, and various trade unions including the Karnataka Beedi Workers’ Union.
The CACL initiative has the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Karnataka Child Labour Project.
On the impact of the initiative so far, Susheela said, “It is sure to enlighten civil society that the practice of child labour is unlawful and it will help in the rescue and rehabilitation of poor children working as domestic helps in homes, garages and hotels.
“Most people are not aware that employing children as labourers is unlawful. The issue of child labour is very complex, as in most cases parents themselves deny their child is working. Thus it takes a lot of time to rescue children from the clutches of their employers. But we’re working and hope to achieve good results soon,” said Susheela.
According to the 2001 census, there were 12.59 million child workers in India. Karnataka had 823,000 child labourers. Uttar Pradesh topped the chart with 1,927,997 of child labourers, followed by Andhra Pradesh where 1,363,339 children were found working.
“Our very first target of involving civil society groups is to reduce the number of child labourers in Karnataka. This can happen only when new recruitment stops. Awareness on not recruiting children as workers could be easily spread through civil society groups,” said Mahindra Rajaram, consultant of the advocacy wing of CACL.
“Whenever we have approached any groups, we have got positive feedback from them. If we could sustain our work, we are sure to bring some positive results in the coming years,” he added.
However, Rajaram said that since child labour was a complex issue and directly linked to poverty, it would take some time to bring tangible results.
“Figures regarding child labour are also conflicting. Figures from NGOs differ hugely from government data,” he noted.
“Exact figures of child labour of any place is hard to provide,” said Rajaram.
According to a recent CACL survey, Karnataka has 400,000 child labourers, whereas the state government’s labour department puts the figure at just 85,000.
Child rights activists estimate that currently there are 50 million child labourers in India, though it was banned more than two years ago.
The notification on prohibition of employment of children as domestic help and in restaurants or roadside ‘dhabas’ (eateries) came into effect on Oct 10, 2006. Violators face jail for up to two years and a fine of Rs.20,000 (about $420).
According to the 7th All India Education Survey, done last in 2002, 50 percent of Indian children aged 6-18 do not go to school and most of them are engaged in one or other profession, making them child labourers.
As per the child rights charter, a universal definition of “child” includes all persons under the age of 18.
The Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), a nation-wide network to eliminate child labour, took the lead in launching the initiative.
The Civil Society Initiatives for Elimination of Child Labour was launched in August 2008.
“The aim of the exercise is to educate and involve society through various civilian groups about the scourge of child labour. In a way we want to involve the entire society in eradicating the inhuman practice of engaging child labour in various sectors,” V. Susheela, convener of the Karnataka chapter of CACL, told IANS.
“Our latest initiative has borne positive results as 90 civil society groups have become members of our campaign in the past seven months. These groups are working in tandem in stopping children from being employed in various sectors across the state. The civil society groups are also involved in advocacy and opinion building against child labour,” Susheela added.
Some of the civil society groups which have joined hands with CACL are Bangalore Hotel Owners’ Association, Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ Association, Karnataka Truck Owners’ Association, and various trade unions including the Karnataka Beedi Workers’ Union.
The CACL initiative has the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Karnataka Child Labour Project.
On the impact of the initiative so far, Susheela said, “It is sure to enlighten civil society that the practice of child labour is unlawful and it will help in the rescue and rehabilitation of poor children working as domestic helps in homes, garages and hotels.
“Most people are not aware that employing children as labourers is unlawful. The issue of child labour is very complex, as in most cases parents themselves deny their child is working. Thus it takes a lot of time to rescue children from the clutches of their employers. But we’re working and hope to achieve good results soon,” said Susheela.
According to the 2001 census, there were 12.59 million child workers in India. Karnataka had 823,000 child labourers. Uttar Pradesh topped the chart with 1,927,997 of child labourers, followed by Andhra Pradesh where 1,363,339 children were found working.
“Our very first target of involving civil society groups is to reduce the number of child labourers in Karnataka. This can happen only when new recruitment stops. Awareness on not recruiting children as workers could be easily spread through civil society groups,” said Mahindra Rajaram, consultant of the advocacy wing of CACL.
“Whenever we have approached any groups, we have got positive feedback from them. If we could sustain our work, we are sure to bring some positive results in the coming years,” he added.
However, Rajaram said that since child labour was a complex issue and directly linked to poverty, it would take some time to bring tangible results.
“Figures regarding child labour are also conflicting. Figures from NGOs differ hugely from government data,” he noted.
“Exact figures of child labour of any place is hard to provide,” said Rajaram.
According to a recent CACL survey, Karnataka has 400,000 child labourers, whereas the state government’s labour department puts the figure at just 85,000.
Child rights activists estimate that currently there are 50 million child labourers in India, though it was banned more than two years ago.
The notification on prohibition of employment of children as domestic help and in restaurants or roadside ‘dhabas’ (eateries) came into effect on Oct 10, 2006. Violators face jail for up to two years and a fine of Rs.20,000 (about $420).
According to the 7th All India Education Survey, done last in 2002, 50 percent of Indian children aged 6-18 do not go to school and most of them are engaged in one or other profession, making them child labourers.
As per the child rights charter, a universal definition of “child” includes all persons under the age of 18.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Snake in Mid day meal- 55 kids fell ill
http://sta tic.ibnlive.com/pix/common/ibnlive_small.gif
Fifty five school children were hospitalized in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Friday after they found a dead snake in their mid day meal.
Authorities said that the snake must have fallen into the food accidentally when the meal was being prepared.
“The snake came into notice when served in a plate along with a portion of rice and gruel,” said Rampurhat SDO A Sengupta.
Doctors who examined the children felt nausea only out of revulsion. Cook Maya konai who prepared the food has been blaming Integrated Child Development Scheme officials. She said they did not improve condition of the kitchen where the food was being prepared, despite repeated requests. However, officials claimed that the cook never complained about the poor sanitation in the kitchen and said explanation would be sought from her. But Maya maintained that there were many snakes, insects and worms near the kitchen. According to her, she did not found anything suspicious while cooking. She left the center after preparing of the meal and was not present while it was served.
Fifty five school children were hospitalized in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Friday after they found a dead snake in their mid day meal.
Authorities said that the snake must have fallen into the food accidentally when the meal was being prepared.
“The snake came into notice when served in a plate along with a portion of rice and gruel,” said Rampurhat SDO A Sengupta.
Doctors who examined the children felt nausea only out of revulsion. Cook Maya konai who prepared the food has been blaming Integrated Child Development Scheme officials. She said they did not improve condition of the kitchen where the food was being prepared, despite repeated requests. However, officials claimed that the cook never complained about the poor sanitation in the kitchen and said explanation would be sought from her. But Maya maintained that there were many snakes, insects and worms near the kitchen. According to her, she did not found anything suspicious while cooking. She left the center after preparing of the meal and was not present while it was served.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Committee on Rights of Child to hold fifty-first session in Geneva from 25 May to 12 June 2009
Source: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Date: 22 May 2009
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Situation of Children's Rights in France, Sweden, Mauritania, Slovenia, Bangladesh, Niger, Romania and Oman to be Reviewed
The Committee on the Rights of the Child will meet at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 25 May to 12 June to review the promotion and protection of children's rights under the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in France, Sweden, Mauritania, Bangladesh, Niger and Romania. The Committee will also review efforts made by Slovenia and Oman with regard to their implementation of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention, on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The Committee was formed in 1991 to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives a comprehensive collection of children's rights the force of international law. The countries scheduled to come before the Committee at this session are among the 193 to have ratified or acceded to the Convention. The treaty is the most widely accepted international human rights instrument. Only Somalia and the United States have not ratified it. States parties to the Convention are expected to send representatives to the Committee to present periodic reports on national efforts to give effect to children's rights.
At the Committee's fifty-first session, Mauritania and Niger will present their second reports, France, Bangladesh and Romania will present their combined third and fourth periodic reports and Sweden will present its fourth periodic report on measures taken to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child nationally. Delegations from the Slovenia and Oman will also be presenting their initial reports under the Convention's two Optional Protocols.
At its opening meeting, the Committee will swear in the following six newly elected Committee members, who will serve until 28 February 2013: Hadeel Al-Asmar (Syria); Peter Guran (Slovakia); Sanphasit Koompraphant (Thailand); Marta Mauras Perez (Chile); Kamla Devi Varmah (Mauritius) and Susana Villarán de la Puente (Peru). Three Committee members were also re-elected by States parties at the last elections, held on 18 December 2008: Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea); Awich Pollar (Uganda) and Jean Zermatten (Switzerland). Also at the first meeting, the Committee will elect a new Bureau, including a Chairperson, four Vice Chairpersons and a Rapporteur, from among its Members, following which it will adopt its agenda and review its organization of work.
During the session, in addition to consideration of country reports, the Committee will continue its discussion of ways and areas in which existing cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. It will also pursue its discussion concerning the organization of its future work, as well as discuss its treaty-specific reporting guidelines. The Committee will also pursue the elaboration of a general comment further clarifying the concept of child participation as contained in the Convention. Other matters relating to the work of the Committee will be discussed as may be necessary.
The States parties presenting reports during this session have previously come before the Committee. The Committee considered the second periodic report of France on 2 June 2004, and concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.240; the Committee examined the third report of Sweden on 11 January 2005, and concluding observations on it are contained in document CRC/C/15/Add.248; on 25 September 2001, the Committee reviewed Mauritania's initial report, and the concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.159; the Committee took up the second periodic report of Slovenia on 26 January 2004, and made public concluding observations on it in document CRC/C/15/Add.230; the initial report of Bangladesh underwent a Committee review on 26 and 27 May 1997, and concluding observations on it are contained in document CRC/C/15/Add.74; the initial report of Niger was examined by the Committee on 24 May 2002, and concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.179; the Committee considered Romania's second periodic report on 20 January 2003, and made public its concluding observations on it in document CRC/C/15/Add.199; and the Committee reviewed the second periodic report of Oman on 13 September 2006, and concluding observations on are contained in document CRC/C/OMN/CO/2.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The General Assembly adopted the Convention unanimously on 20 November 1989, 30 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The Convention renders States parties legally accountable for their actions towards children. Work on drafting the Convention began in 1979 – the International Year of the Child – at the Commission on Human Rights.
The Convention was opened for signature on 26 January 1990. That day, 61 countries signed it, a record first-day response. It entered into force just seven months later, on 2 September 1990.
Ratifying the Convention entails reviewing national legislation to make sure it is in line with the provisions of the treaty. The Convention stipulates, among other things, that every child has the right to life, and that States shall ensure the maximum child survival and development; that every child has the right to a name and nationality from birth; and that when courts, welfare institutions or administrative authorities deal with children, the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration. The Convention also recognizes the right of children to be heard.
Furthermore, States shall ensure that each child enjoys full rights without discrimination or distinction of any kind, and shall ensure that children not be separated from their parents, unless by competent authorities for their well-being. In addition, States shall facilitate reunification of families by permitting travel into, or out of, their territories; and States shall protect children from physical or mental harm and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation.
Also according to the Convention, children with disabilities shall have the right to education, special treatment and care; primary education shall be free and compulsory and discipline in school should respect the child's dignity; capital punishment or life imprisonment shall not be imposed for crimes committed before the age of 18; no child under 15 should take any part in hostilities and children exposed to armed conflict shall receive special protection; and children of minority and indigenous populations shall freely enjoy their own cultures, religions and languages.
In May 2000, the General Assembly adopted the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Optional Protocols entered into force in 2002. Currently, 126 countries have ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and 130 States have ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
Although the Convention requires States parties to prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography extends the measures that States Parties must undertake to protect children from these violations of their human rights. The Optional Protocol not only defines the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, but also provides a non-exhaustive list of acts and activities which shall be criminalized by States parties. This criminalization also includes attempts, complicity, or participation in such acts or activities. The Optional Protocol sets forth the bases for States Parties to assert jurisdiction over actionable practices relating to the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography (including extra-territorial legislation) and to make provisions about extradition of alleged offenders. Based on the principle of the best interests of the child, the Optional Protocol also sets forth provisions for protecting and assisting child victims during all stages of the criminal justice process. In addition, preventive measures against the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, as well as redress, rehabilitation and recovery of child victims are foreseen in the Optional Protocol. For the implementation of all these provisions, the Optional Protocol asks for a close collaboration among States parties.
Currently, there are 131 parties to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Canada; Cape Verde; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Comoros; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; France; Gabon; Georgia; Greece; Guatemala; Holy See; Honduras; Iceland; India; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Madagascar; Maldives; Mali; Mauritania; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger; Norway; Oman; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Republic of Moldova; Romania; Rwanda; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Tanzania; United States; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Viet Nam; and Yemen.
Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict complements article 38 of the Convention, as well as international humanitarian law, establishes that no person under the age of 18 shall be subject to compulsory recruitment into regular armed forces, and imposes an obligation on States to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment to at least 16 years. Upon ratification of or accession to the Optional Protocol, States parties must deposit a binding declaration stating their minimum age for voluntary recruiting and the safeguards in place to ensure that that recruitment is voluntary. States Parties to the Protocol shall also ensure that members of their armed forces under 18 years of age do not take a direct part in hostilities. In addition, armed groups distinct from the armed forces of a State should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities persons under 18. States parties are required to take all feasible measures to prevent the recruitment and use of children by such groups, including the criminalization of such practices.
To date, 128 States have ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Canada; Cape Verde; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Czech Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Dominica; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Eritrea; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Guatemala; Holy See; Honduras; Iceland; India; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Madagascar; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Republic of Moldova; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Tanzania; United States; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Viet Nam; and Yemen.
Committee Membership
The Committee is made up of 18 Experts of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of children's rights. The following members, nominated by the States parties to serve in their personal capacity, have been elected or re-elected to the Committee: Agnes Akosua Aidoo (Ghana); Hadeel Al-Asmar (Syrian Arab Republic); Luigi Citarella (Italy); Kamel Filali (Algeria); Peter Guran (Slovakia); Maria Herczog (Hungary); Moushira Khattab (Egypt); Sanphasit Koompraphant (Thailand); Hatem Kotrane (Tunisia); Lothar Friedrich Krappmann (Germany); Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea); Marta Mauras Perez (Chile); Rosa María Ortiz (Paraguay); Awich Pollar (Uganda); Dainius Puras (Lithuania); Kamla Devi Varmah (Mauritius); Susana Villarán de la Puente (Peru); and Jean Zermatten (Switzerland). Currently, Ms. Lee is the Chairperson of the Committee; Ms. Aidoo, Mr. Filali, Ms. Ortiz, and Mr. Zermatten are Vice-Chairpersons; and Mr. Krappmann is the Rapporteur.
Tentative Timetable for Consideration of Reports
Following is a tentative timetable for the consideration of reports from States parties to the Convention during this session:
Tuesday, 26 May
10 a.m. France: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/FRA/4)
3 p.m. France (continued)
Wednesday, 27 May
10 a.m. Sweden: fourth periodic report (CRC/C/SWE/4)
3 p.m. Sweden (continued)
Thursday, 28 May
10 a.m. Mauritania: second periodic report (CRC/C/MRT/2)
3 p.m. Mauritania (continued)
Friday, 29 May
10 a.m. Slovenia: OPAC Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
and OPSC Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
initial reports (CRC/C/OPAC/SVN/1 and CRC/C/OPSC/SVN/1)
3 p.m. Slovenia (continued)
Wednesday, 3 June
10 a.m. Bangladesh: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/BGD/4)
3 p.m. Bangladesh (continued)
Thursday, 4 June
10 a.m. Niger: second periodic report (CRC/C/NER/2)
3 p.m. Niger (continued)
Friday, 5 June
10 a.m. Romania: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/ROM/4)
3 p.m. Romania (continued)
Tuesday, 9 June
10 a.m. Oman: OPAC1 and OPSC2 initial reports (CRC/C/OPAC/OMN/1 and CRC/OPSC/OMN/1)
3 p.m. Oman (continued)
More information, including links to documentation for the forty-ninth session of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is available at the OHCHR website at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs50.htm.
Date: 22 May 2009
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Situation of Children's Rights in France, Sweden, Mauritania, Slovenia, Bangladesh, Niger, Romania and Oman to be Reviewed
The Committee on the Rights of the Child will meet at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 25 May to 12 June to review the promotion and protection of children's rights under the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in France, Sweden, Mauritania, Bangladesh, Niger and Romania. The Committee will also review efforts made by Slovenia and Oman with regard to their implementation of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention, on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The Committee was formed in 1991 to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gives a comprehensive collection of children's rights the force of international law. The countries scheduled to come before the Committee at this session are among the 193 to have ratified or acceded to the Convention. The treaty is the most widely accepted international human rights instrument. Only Somalia and the United States have not ratified it. States parties to the Convention are expected to send representatives to the Committee to present periodic reports on national efforts to give effect to children's rights.
At the Committee's fifty-first session, Mauritania and Niger will present their second reports, France, Bangladesh and Romania will present their combined third and fourth periodic reports and Sweden will present its fourth periodic report on measures taken to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child nationally. Delegations from the Slovenia and Oman will also be presenting their initial reports under the Convention's two Optional Protocols.
At its opening meeting, the Committee will swear in the following six newly elected Committee members, who will serve until 28 February 2013: Hadeel Al-Asmar (Syria); Peter Guran (Slovakia); Sanphasit Koompraphant (Thailand); Marta Mauras Perez (Chile); Kamla Devi Varmah (Mauritius) and Susana Villarán de la Puente (Peru). Three Committee members were also re-elected by States parties at the last elections, held on 18 December 2008: Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea); Awich Pollar (Uganda) and Jean Zermatten (Switzerland). Also at the first meeting, the Committee will elect a new Bureau, including a Chairperson, four Vice Chairpersons and a Rapporteur, from among its Members, following which it will adopt its agenda and review its organization of work.
During the session, in addition to consideration of country reports, the Committee will continue its discussion of ways and areas in which existing cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. It will also pursue its discussion concerning the organization of its future work, as well as discuss its treaty-specific reporting guidelines. The Committee will also pursue the elaboration of a general comment further clarifying the concept of child participation as contained in the Convention. Other matters relating to the work of the Committee will be discussed as may be necessary.
The States parties presenting reports during this session have previously come before the Committee. The Committee considered the second periodic report of France on 2 June 2004, and concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.240; the Committee examined the third report of Sweden on 11 January 2005, and concluding observations on it are contained in document CRC/C/15/Add.248; on 25 September 2001, the Committee reviewed Mauritania's initial report, and the concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.159; the Committee took up the second periodic report of Slovenia on 26 January 2004, and made public concluding observations on it in document CRC/C/15/Add.230; the initial report of Bangladesh underwent a Committee review on 26 and 27 May 1997, and concluding observations on it are contained in document CRC/C/15/Add.74; the initial report of Niger was examined by the Committee on 24 May 2002, and concluding observations on it can be found in document CRC/C/15/Add.179; the Committee considered Romania's second periodic report on 20 January 2003, and made public its concluding observations on it in document CRC/C/15/Add.199; and the Committee reviewed the second periodic report of Oman on 13 September 2006, and concluding observations on are contained in document CRC/C/OMN/CO/2.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The General Assembly adopted the Convention unanimously on 20 November 1989, 30 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The Convention renders States parties legally accountable for their actions towards children. Work on drafting the Convention began in 1979 – the International Year of the Child – at the Commission on Human Rights.
The Convention was opened for signature on 26 January 1990. That day, 61 countries signed it, a record first-day response. It entered into force just seven months later, on 2 September 1990.
Ratifying the Convention entails reviewing national legislation to make sure it is in line with the provisions of the treaty. The Convention stipulates, among other things, that every child has the right to life, and that States shall ensure the maximum child survival and development; that every child has the right to a name and nationality from birth; and that when courts, welfare institutions or administrative authorities deal with children, the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration. The Convention also recognizes the right of children to be heard.
Furthermore, States shall ensure that each child enjoys full rights without discrimination or distinction of any kind, and shall ensure that children not be separated from their parents, unless by competent authorities for their well-being. In addition, States shall facilitate reunification of families by permitting travel into, or out of, their territories; and States shall protect children from physical or mental harm and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation.
Also according to the Convention, children with disabilities shall have the right to education, special treatment and care; primary education shall be free and compulsory and discipline in school should respect the child's dignity; capital punishment or life imprisonment shall not be imposed for crimes committed before the age of 18; no child under 15 should take any part in hostilities and children exposed to armed conflict shall receive special protection; and children of minority and indigenous populations shall freely enjoy their own cultures, religions and languages.
In May 2000, the General Assembly adopted the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Optional Protocols entered into force in 2002. Currently, 126 countries have ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and 130 States have ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
Although the Convention requires States parties to prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography extends the measures that States Parties must undertake to protect children from these violations of their human rights. The Optional Protocol not only defines the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, but also provides a non-exhaustive list of acts and activities which shall be criminalized by States parties. This criminalization also includes attempts, complicity, or participation in such acts or activities. The Optional Protocol sets forth the bases for States Parties to assert jurisdiction over actionable practices relating to the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography (including extra-territorial legislation) and to make provisions about extradition of alleged offenders. Based on the principle of the best interests of the child, the Optional Protocol also sets forth provisions for protecting and assisting child victims during all stages of the criminal justice process. In addition, preventive measures against the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, as well as redress, rehabilitation and recovery of child victims are foreseen in the Optional Protocol. For the implementation of all these provisions, the Optional Protocol asks for a close collaboration among States parties.
Currently, there are 131 parties to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Canada; Cape Verde; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Comoros; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; France; Gabon; Georgia; Greece; Guatemala; Holy See; Honduras; Iceland; India; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Madagascar; Maldives; Mali; Mauritania; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nicaragua; Niger; Norway; Oman; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Republic of Moldova; Romania; Rwanda; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Tanzania; United States; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Viet Nam; and Yemen.
Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict complements article 38 of the Convention, as well as international humanitarian law, establishes that no person under the age of 18 shall be subject to compulsory recruitment into regular armed forces, and imposes an obligation on States to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment to at least 16 years. Upon ratification of or accession to the Optional Protocol, States parties must deposit a binding declaration stating their minimum age for voluntary recruiting and the safeguards in place to ensure that that recruitment is voluntary. States Parties to the Protocol shall also ensure that members of their armed forces under 18 years of age do not take a direct part in hostilities. In addition, armed groups distinct from the armed forces of a State should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities persons under 18. States parties are required to take all feasible measures to prevent the recruitment and use of children by such groups, including the criminalization of such practices.
To date, 128 States have ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Canada; Cape Verde; Chad; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Czech Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Dominica; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Eritrea; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Guatemala; Holy See; Honduras; Iceland; India; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Madagascar; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nepal; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Republic of Korea; Republic of Moldova; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Tajikistan; Thailand; The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Tanzania; United States; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Viet Nam; and Yemen.
Committee Membership
The Committee is made up of 18 Experts of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of children's rights. The following members, nominated by the States parties to serve in their personal capacity, have been elected or re-elected to the Committee: Agnes Akosua Aidoo (Ghana); Hadeel Al-Asmar (Syrian Arab Republic); Luigi Citarella (Italy); Kamel Filali (Algeria); Peter Guran (Slovakia); Maria Herczog (Hungary); Moushira Khattab (Egypt); Sanphasit Koompraphant (Thailand); Hatem Kotrane (Tunisia); Lothar Friedrich Krappmann (Germany); Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea); Marta Mauras Perez (Chile); Rosa María Ortiz (Paraguay); Awich Pollar (Uganda); Dainius Puras (Lithuania); Kamla Devi Varmah (Mauritius); Susana Villarán de la Puente (Peru); and Jean Zermatten (Switzerland). Currently, Ms. Lee is the Chairperson of the Committee; Ms. Aidoo, Mr. Filali, Ms. Ortiz, and Mr. Zermatten are Vice-Chairpersons; and Mr. Krappmann is the Rapporteur.
Tentative Timetable for Consideration of Reports
Following is a tentative timetable for the consideration of reports from States parties to the Convention during this session:
Tuesday, 26 May
10 a.m. France: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/FRA/4)
3 p.m. France (continued)
Wednesday, 27 May
10 a.m. Sweden: fourth periodic report (CRC/C/SWE/4)
3 p.m. Sweden (continued)
Thursday, 28 May
10 a.m. Mauritania: second periodic report (CRC/C/MRT/2)
3 p.m. Mauritania (continued)
Friday, 29 May
10 a.m. Slovenia: OPAC Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
and OPSC Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
initial reports (CRC/C/OPAC/SVN/1 and CRC/C/OPSC/SVN/1)
3 p.m. Slovenia (continued)
Wednesday, 3 June
10 a.m. Bangladesh: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/BGD/4)
3 p.m. Bangladesh (continued)
Thursday, 4 June
10 a.m. Niger: second periodic report (CRC/C/NER/2)
3 p.m. Niger (continued)
Friday, 5 June
10 a.m. Romania: combined third and fourth periodic reports (CRC/C/ROM/4)
3 p.m. Romania (continued)
Tuesday, 9 June
10 a.m. Oman: OPAC1 and OPSC2 initial reports (CRC/C/OPAC/OMN/1 and CRC/OPSC/OMN/1)
3 p.m. Oman (continued)
More information, including links to documentation for the forty-ninth session of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is available at the OHCHR website at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs50.htm.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother Day special
On this Mother's Day, filled with its many celebrations, it is appropriate to pause for a moment of reflection on the challenges of women around the world.
No doubt Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe, with whom the day's history is intertwined, would have wanted that.
Jarvis, the Appalachian homemaker who fought for improved sanitation and wanted a day to highlight that effort, and Ward, the suffragette and reformer who wanted mothers to devote a day to peace after the Franco-Prussian war, were activists to their core.
Jarvis' daughter, whose name was also Anna, lobbied for a national day to honor mothers like hers. In 1914, the second Sunday of May was established as Mother's Day around the nation.
In the United States, many women -- most of them mothers -- grapple with daunting issues like poverty, violence, inadequate child care and lack of access to adequate health care. It is encouraging that President Barack Obama recently created the White House Council on Women and Girls, which involves every federal agency and is charged with closely monitoring female-related issues.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, is drawing attention to the plight of Native American women. It says Native women are more than twice as likely to be sexually assaulted as other women in the United States.
Outside the United States, rape is a tool of war in places like Congo and Darfur. Women are the majority of refugees fleeing their homelands, and they are frequently targets of abuse by "security forces, border guards, locals, smugglers and other refugees," according to Amnesty.
Where are they safe?
Last month, Afghan women protesting Shiite marital laws that allow rape by husbands, among other things, were pelted with stones by fellow Afghans. The outcry was heard around the world -- perhaps loud enough to force some change.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has consistently reported on the trafficking of women and children in Asia and other countries. He recently added the United States to his list as he chronicles the plight of teenage girls who are exploited by pimps who use drugs and beatings to control them.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-Manhattan, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., have introduced the International Women's Freedom Act of 2009. The legislation would create a U.S. Commission on International Women's Rights that would report on women's rights issues around the globe. Such a commission should be welcomed.
And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said as first lady nearly 15 years ago that "women's rights are human rights," is committed to a global women's agenda.
Concerned citizens must get involved, too -- in part by contacting their congressional representatives and making sure they are engaged in efforts to protect women here and around the world.
Ward and the Jarvises would have wanted that.
No doubt Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe, with whom the day's history is intertwined, would have wanted that.
Jarvis, the Appalachian homemaker who fought for improved sanitation and wanted a day to highlight that effort, and Ward, the suffragette and reformer who wanted mothers to devote a day to peace after the Franco-Prussian war, were activists to their core.
Jarvis' daughter, whose name was also Anna, lobbied for a national day to honor mothers like hers. In 1914, the second Sunday of May was established as Mother's Day around the nation.
In the United States, many women -- most of them mothers -- grapple with daunting issues like poverty, violence, inadequate child care and lack of access to adequate health care. It is encouraging that President Barack Obama recently created the White House Council on Women and Girls, which involves every federal agency and is charged with closely monitoring female-related issues.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, is drawing attention to the plight of Native American women. It says Native women are more than twice as likely to be sexually assaulted as other women in the United States.
Outside the United States, rape is a tool of war in places like Congo and Darfur. Women are the majority of refugees fleeing their homelands, and they are frequently targets of abuse by "security forces, border guards, locals, smugglers and other refugees," according to Amnesty.
Where are they safe?
Last month, Afghan women protesting Shiite marital laws that allow rape by husbands, among other things, were pelted with stones by fellow Afghans. The outcry was heard around the world -- perhaps loud enough to force some change.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has consistently reported on the trafficking of women and children in Asia and other countries. He recently added the United States to his list as he chronicles the plight of teenage girls who are exploited by pimps who use drugs and beatings to control them.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-Manhattan, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., have introduced the International Women's Freedom Act of 2009. The legislation would create a U.S. Commission on International Women's Rights that would report on women's rights issues around the globe. Such a commission should be welcomed.
And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said as first lady nearly 15 years ago that "women's rights are human rights," is committed to a global women's agenda.
Concerned citizens must get involved, too -- in part by contacting their congressional representatives and making sure they are engaged in efforts to protect women here and around the world.
Ward and the Jarvises would have wanted that.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Child Rights and You (CRY) has started its election campaign — not for votes but to keep child rights on the agenda of political parties.
The CRY (NGO) has been communicating with politicians across the country to ensure that issues related to children do not slip off their and their parties’ radar.
“We find that despite the efforts of child rights organisations, political parties continue to ignore children and the issues affecting them. So we are now knocking on the doors of the candidates to remind them that children should not be neglected,” said education activist and CRY director Ila Hukku.
The NGO recently handed over its Child Rights Manifesto, which lists issues affecting children’s lives in India, to CPM state secretary Biman Bose, CPM candidate Mohammad Salim and CPI state secretary and central secretariat member Manju Kumar Majumder.
CRY also plans to hand over the manifesto to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
According to representatives of the NGO, while many candidates pointed out that their parties’ manifestos contained points from the CRY document, in the past the issues have seldom been taken up after polls.
Mohammad Salim promised the representatives that the issues would feature in the CPM’s internal debates after the elections and in the common minimum programme if the party comes to power.
The Child Rights Manifesto seeks an increase in government expenditure on children — specifically a hike in expenditure on education to 10 per cent and on health to seven per cent of the GDP.
It calls for redrafting of the Right to Education Bill (Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008) and the revision of the National Policy for Children (1974).
“We are reminding people that one-fourth of the country — as many as 400 million citizens — will not vote this election because they are below 18. We, the adults, should ensure that their interests do not slip off the political radar,” said Dipankar Mazumdar, the director (youth and development support) of CRY.
[source- [[The Telegraph]], Thursday , May 7 , 2009]
“We find that despite the efforts of child rights organisations, political parties continue to ignore children and the issues affecting them. So we are now knocking on the doors of the candidates to remind them that children should not be neglected,” said education activist and CRY director Ila Hukku.
The NGO recently handed over its Child Rights Manifesto, which lists issues affecting children’s lives in India, to CPM state secretary Biman Bose, CPM candidate Mohammad Salim and CPI state secretary and central secretariat member Manju Kumar Majumder.
CRY also plans to hand over the manifesto to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
According to representatives of the NGO, while many candidates pointed out that their parties’ manifestos contained points from the CRY document, in the past the issues have seldom been taken up after polls.
Mohammad Salim promised the representatives that the issues would feature in the CPM’s internal debates after the elections and in the common minimum programme if the party comes to power.
The Child Rights Manifesto seeks an increase in government expenditure on children — specifically a hike in expenditure on education to 10 per cent and on health to seven per cent of the GDP.
It calls for redrafting of the Right to Education Bill (Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008) and the revision of the National Policy for Children (1974).
“We are reminding people that one-fourth of the country — as many as 400 million citizens — will not vote this election because they are below 18. We, the adults, should ensure that their interests do not slip off the political radar,” said Dipankar Mazumdar, the director (youth and development support) of CRY.
[source- [[The Telegraph]], Thursday , May 7 , 2009]
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Violation of child rights’ for any poll-related work “is in no way acceptable.” said Election Commission
The Election Commission has warned the District Election Officers and the Returning Officers that they would be personally held responsible if there was any report of employment of child labourers for poll-related works.
Taking cognizance of a photograph published by The Hindu on Thursday wherein children were seen carrying the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), prior to the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Bhagalpur constituency in Bihar, the Commission said the use of child workers was “highly objectionable.”
The Commission – Chief Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla and Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and V.S. Sampath – which went through the report about employment of child labourers, in a letter to the Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of the States/Union Territories on Friday, said those violating the child labour laws would face the consequences of law and severe disciplinary action.
Violation of child rights’ for any poll-related work “is in no way acceptable.” The Commission, taking “strong exception” to the practice, also sent a copy of the photograph published in The Hindu along with the letter to the officials.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits employment of children below 14 years in occupations such as transport of goods etc. considered unsafe and harmful to them and regulates the conditions of work of children.
The violators could face imprisonment from three months to one year and fine between Rs.10,000 and Rs.20,000 or both. Besides the violators had to deposit Rs.20,000 in the name of the rescued child to the Child Labour Rehabilitation cum Welfare Fund.
[Source: The Hindu, Saturday, May 02, 2009]
Taking cognizance of a photograph published by The Hindu on Thursday wherein children were seen carrying the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), prior to the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Bhagalpur constituency in Bihar, the Commission said the use of child workers was “highly objectionable.”
The Commission – Chief Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla and Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi and V.S. Sampath – which went through the report about employment of child labourers, in a letter to the Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of the States/Union Territories on Friday, said those violating the child labour laws would face the consequences of law and severe disciplinary action.
Violation of child rights’ for any poll-related work “is in no way acceptable.” The Commission, taking “strong exception” to the practice, also sent a copy of the photograph published in The Hindu along with the letter to the officials.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits employment of children below 14 years in occupations such as transport of goods etc. considered unsafe and harmful to them and regulates the conditions of work of children.
The violators could face imprisonment from three months to one year and fine between Rs.10,000 and Rs.20,000 or both. Besides the violators had to deposit Rs.20,000 in the name of the rescued child to the Child Labour Rehabilitation cum Welfare Fund.
[Source: The Hindu, Saturday, May 02, 2009]
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Police says Shanno's teacher punished her
The Outer District police on Tuesday said it now has enough statements from witnesses to suggest that MCD school teacher Manju Rathee (27) did indeed punish Shanno Khatun and three of her classmates by asking them to squat before the class. However, police denied allegations that the girl was made to stand in the the sun.
Police sources revealed that of the 35 students of class II who have given their statements so far, 26 have told the police that Shanno was asked to squat. A total of 74 students were present that day in the class and statements will be taken from all of them. Some of the students who have already testified, have alleged that they are being harassed by teachers and MCD has decided to probe the allegations.
"We have not found any concrete evidence which can directly indict the teacher of handing out corporal punishment to the girl but an overwhelming majority of the students that we have spoken to so far have corroborated the sister's version that Shanno was punished. It was probably for only a short duration,'' said a senior police official of the district.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Shanno's father Ayub Khan said he saw some hope in the police investigations. "The fact that Shanno was punished has at least been established. A fair investigation will reveal more truths,'' he told Times City.
On Tuesday, Ayub went to the MAMC and LNJP Hospitals to file his RTI application seeking answers to 102 questions on exactly how Shanno's treatment was done and the findings of her autopsy. "We will now file the RTI at the Maharshi Balmiki Hospital in Bawana,'' said Ayub.
Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Traders Association, said the RTI would be filed under the "life and liberty'' clause Section 7 (1) of RTI that makes it mandatory for an authority to furnish a response within 48 hours. "We have also kept our options open for seeking compensation
from the CIC,'' he said. He added that the process of receiving cheques from Sarojini Nagar traders to sponsor the education of Shanno's two sisters Sainaz and Saina had been completed.
Meanwhile, Ayub told Times City that he would shift his two daughters to the Batla House orphanage on Friday. "It is going to be particularly difficult for my wife. We will be allowed to visit the NGO only once a month and we will be allowed a telephone conversation every fortnight. However, I believe that both my daughters will live a better life after this,'' he said.
In another development, leading lawyer Rohit Kocchar indicated that he may file a writ petition on Shanno's behalf on Wednesday. Sources in Shanno's family said they would demand a relook at the postmortem report by an independent body of experts.
[ source Times of India- 28 Apr 2009, 2303 hrs IST, Dwaipayan Ghosh, TNN]
Police sources revealed that of the 35 students of class II who have given their statements so far, 26 have told the police that Shanno was asked to squat. A total of 74 students were present that day in the class and statements will be taken from all of them. Some of the students who have already testified, have alleged that they are being harassed by teachers and MCD has decided to probe the allegations.
"We have not found any concrete evidence which can directly indict the teacher of handing out corporal punishment to the girl but an overwhelming majority of the students that we have spoken to so far have corroborated the sister's version that Shanno was punished. It was probably for only a short duration,'' said a senior police official of the district.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Shanno's father Ayub Khan said he saw some hope in the police investigations. "The fact that Shanno was punished has at least been established. A fair investigation will reveal more truths,'' he told Times City.
On Tuesday, Ayub went to the MAMC and LNJP Hospitals to file his RTI application seeking answers to 102 questions on exactly how Shanno's treatment was done and the findings of her autopsy. "We will now file the RTI at the Maharshi Balmiki Hospital in Bawana,'' said Ayub.
Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Traders Association, said the RTI would be filed under the "life and liberty'' clause Section 7 (1) of RTI that makes it mandatory for an authority to furnish a response within 48 hours. "We have also kept our options open for seeking compensation
from the CIC,'' he said. He added that the process of receiving cheques from Sarojini Nagar traders to sponsor the education of Shanno's two sisters Sainaz and Saina had been completed.
Meanwhile, Ayub told Times City that he would shift his two daughters to the Batla House orphanage on Friday. "It is going to be particularly difficult for my wife. We will be allowed to visit the NGO only once a month and we will be allowed a telephone conversation every fortnight. However, I believe that both my daughters will live a better life after this,'' he said.
In another development, leading lawyer Rohit Kocchar indicated that he may file a writ petition on Shanno's behalf on Wednesday. Sources in Shanno's family said they would demand a relook at the postmortem report by an independent body of experts.
[ source Times of India- 28 Apr 2009, 2303 hrs IST, Dwaipayan Ghosh, TNN]
Swine Flu out break in World and The Children
By courtesy From The Times
April 29, 2009
Hundreds of schoolchildren in New York may be infected with the swine flu virus, the city’s Health Commissioner said last night, as experts acknowledged that the world was on track for a pandemic.
“It does seem scary when they put you in isolation, but it goes away,” Stephanie Maglaras, 14, who tested positive for the virus after catching it at her school in New York, told The Times. “It’s something to be afraid of, but you have to go on with your life.”
The virus linked to the deaths of an estimated 152 people in Mexico has surfaced in countries as far apart as New Zealand and Israel.
It appears to have jumped from America’s largest Roman Catholic secondary school, St Francis Prep, in the borough of Queens, to a nearby school for autistic children, the Robin Sue Ward school. At least one pupil there has siblings at St Francis Prep, which is less than a mile away. Robin Sue Ward, which has 400 pupils, was closed yesterday after dozens of autistic children became ill with suspected swine flu. Teachers’ union officials arrived with boxes of face masks.
Authorities in New York are also investigating reported cases at a third school, Ascension School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, after six children reported flu-like symptoms. Two people — a two-month-old baby from the Bronx and a woman in Brooklyn — were admitted to hospital in apparently unrelated cases. The baby’s condition is improving and the woman has been released. “So far, the swine flu here looks like the garden variety flu we see every year,” Michael Bloomberg, the New York Mayor, said. “All patients we know of are recovering, with the overwhelming majority having had only mild illness.”
The outbreak at St Francis Prep, which has 2,700 pupils, followed the return of a group of eight students from a spring holiday in Cancún, Mexico. Ms Maglaras, a pupil at the school who did not travel to Mexico, said that she started suffering symptoms on April 21 and went home. After staying at home for a day, she returned to school. “I thought I had a stomach virus,” she said. The publicity about the outbreak prompted her to get tested at a hospital, where swine flu was confirmed. “I am just getting back to my normal ways now,” she said. “Since Tuesday [last week] I have been out of it. I have not really been doing anything.”
Ms Maglaras has started a Facebook page called “Prep Students Tested Positive for Swine Flu” which last night had more than 100 members, mostly St Francis pupils but also including some parents. “At first I think they were hiding a lot from us, which is disappointing,” she said of school authorities. “But now everything is out in the open. I know that it has affected other schools too.”
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday that there were at least 64 confirmed cases of swine flu in five states — 45 in New York, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. Richard Besser, the centre’s acting director, said that deaths in the country were likely. “As this moves forward, I fully expect that we will see deaths from this infection,” he said.
California declared a state of emergency as authorities said that they were investigating two deaths in Los Angeles for possible links to the virus. Three people have been hospitalised in California, and two in Texas. President Obama asked Congress to release $1.5 billion (£1 billion) to enhance both the US and global response to swine flu.
The European Union, the United States and Canada advised people to avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico, while companies adopted wider travel restrictions to countries where cases have been confirmed.
The moves came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged that the spread of the virus between humans — a hallmark of pandemics — was a “very serious possibility”. The likelihood that swine flu is being transmitted among many people in two different countries increases the probability of the WHO declaring a phase 5 alert on its pandemic preparedness scale of 1 to 6.
Results are expected today from nine people in Scotland who came into contact with newlyweds who contracted the disease while on honeymoon in Mexico. The couple, Iain and Dawn Askham, are being treated in isolation at a hospital near Glasgow.
Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London and an adviser to the WHO and the British Government, said: “We are clearly on track for a pandemic in the coming months. We must expect some serious cases and some deaths outside Mexico.”
Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said that a pandemic was not yet inevitable but that all countries should prepare for the worst, especially poorer developing nations. He said that it was “critical” to identify travellers from Mexico who might be infected with swine flu.
Dr Fukuda said that the most recent laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu included two in Britain and three in New Zealand, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 114. Reports suggest that the rates are already higher, though, with most cases in Mexico still not confirmed officially.
Every household in Britain is to receive a leaflet about swine flu next week, it was announced last night. The Department of Health is understood to have placed an order for millions of facemasks from an American healthcare supplier in recent days. A spokesman said that he could not confirm that an order had been made but said that the Government was “in the market” for all necessary preparations.
The WHO said yesterday that it did not recommend travel restrictions because evidence suggested that at present they would not “substantially” help to slow the spread. Nonetheless, the Foreign Office has updated its advice, recommending no non-essential travel to Mexico. Australia Canada, France and Switzerland made similar announcements.
Several major tour operators grounded flights to Mexico and suspended trips to Mexican coastal resorts. Flights on Thomson Airways, involving those booked on packages with the tour operators Thomson and First Choice, were suspended up to and including May 8 and the company said that it would begin repatriating travellers.
Thomas Cook Airlines, which takes Thomas Cook and Airtours holidaymakers to Mexico, suspended flights for the next seven days. German and French tourism groups also suspended trips.
Around the world
— There have been 114 confirmed cases of swine flu: 26 in Mexico, 65 in the US, 13 in Canada, 3 in New Zealand, 2 in Britain, 2 in Spain, 2 in Israel and 1 in Costa Rica. Cases are suspected in several other countries
— Cuba suspended flights to and from Mexico yesterday, the first country to do so Countries including China, Russia, Lebanon and Ecuador have halted pork imports from Mexico and parts of the US
— Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said that tourists had little to fear from swine flu, because it will only affect people in “slums” in Asia or Mexico
— President Obama asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion to tackle the outbreak
— The remainder of the Concacaf under17 football championship in Tijuana, Mexico, was cancelled
— Hog futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell by the 3-cent daily trading limit amid persistent fears that the spread of swine flu will dent demand
— EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said that the flu strain should be renamed “novel flu” as the current name was needlessly damaging to the pork industry
— The actor Hugh Jackman canceled a scheduled appearance in Mexico City to promote X-Men Origins: Wolverine
— Arsenal’s Mexican forward, Carlos Vela, was told to stay away from training. The 20-year-old has not been in Mexico recently but had been visited by friends from home last week and has had tests as a precaution. He has now received the all-clear
April 29, 2009
Hundreds of schoolchildren in New York may be infected with the swine flu virus, the city’s Health Commissioner said last night, as experts acknowledged that the world was on track for a pandemic.
“It does seem scary when they put you in isolation, but it goes away,” Stephanie Maglaras, 14, who tested positive for the virus after catching it at her school in New York, told The Times. “It’s something to be afraid of, but you have to go on with your life.”
The virus linked to the deaths of an estimated 152 people in Mexico has surfaced in countries as far apart as New Zealand and Israel.
It appears to have jumped from America’s largest Roman Catholic secondary school, St Francis Prep, in the borough of Queens, to a nearby school for autistic children, the Robin Sue Ward school. At least one pupil there has siblings at St Francis Prep, which is less than a mile away. Robin Sue Ward, which has 400 pupils, was closed yesterday after dozens of autistic children became ill with suspected swine flu. Teachers’ union officials arrived with boxes of face masks.
Authorities in New York are also investigating reported cases at a third school, Ascension School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, after six children reported flu-like symptoms. Two people — a two-month-old baby from the Bronx and a woman in Brooklyn — were admitted to hospital in apparently unrelated cases. The baby’s condition is improving and the woman has been released. “So far, the swine flu here looks like the garden variety flu we see every year,” Michael Bloomberg, the New York Mayor, said. “All patients we know of are recovering, with the overwhelming majority having had only mild illness.”
The outbreak at St Francis Prep, which has 2,700 pupils, followed the return of a group of eight students from a spring holiday in Cancún, Mexico. Ms Maglaras, a pupil at the school who did not travel to Mexico, said that she started suffering symptoms on April 21 and went home. After staying at home for a day, she returned to school. “I thought I had a stomach virus,” she said. The publicity about the outbreak prompted her to get tested at a hospital, where swine flu was confirmed. “I am just getting back to my normal ways now,” she said. “Since Tuesday [last week] I have been out of it. I have not really been doing anything.”
Ms Maglaras has started a Facebook page called “Prep Students Tested Positive for Swine Flu” which last night had more than 100 members, mostly St Francis pupils but also including some parents. “At first I think they were hiding a lot from us, which is disappointing,” she said of school authorities. “But now everything is out in the open. I know that it has affected other schools too.”
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday that there were at least 64 confirmed cases of swine flu in five states — 45 in New York, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. Richard Besser, the centre’s acting director, said that deaths in the country were likely. “As this moves forward, I fully expect that we will see deaths from this infection,” he said.
California declared a state of emergency as authorities said that they were investigating two deaths in Los Angeles for possible links to the virus. Three people have been hospitalised in California, and two in Texas. President Obama asked Congress to release $1.5 billion (£1 billion) to enhance both the US and global response to swine flu.
The European Union, the United States and Canada advised people to avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico, while companies adopted wider travel restrictions to countries where cases have been confirmed.
The moves came as the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged that the spread of the virus between humans — a hallmark of pandemics — was a “very serious possibility”. The likelihood that swine flu is being transmitted among many people in two different countries increases the probability of the WHO declaring a phase 5 alert on its pandemic preparedness scale of 1 to 6.
Results are expected today from nine people in Scotland who came into contact with newlyweds who contracted the disease while on honeymoon in Mexico. The couple, Iain and Dawn Askham, are being treated in isolation at a hospital near Glasgow.
Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London and an adviser to the WHO and the British Government, said: “We are clearly on track for a pandemic in the coming months. We must expect some serious cases and some deaths outside Mexico.”
Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, said that a pandemic was not yet inevitable but that all countries should prepare for the worst, especially poorer developing nations. He said that it was “critical” to identify travellers from Mexico who might be infected with swine flu.
Dr Fukuda said that the most recent laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu included two in Britain and three in New Zealand, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 114. Reports suggest that the rates are already higher, though, with most cases in Mexico still not confirmed officially.
Every household in Britain is to receive a leaflet about swine flu next week, it was announced last night. The Department of Health is understood to have placed an order for millions of facemasks from an American healthcare supplier in recent days. A spokesman said that he could not confirm that an order had been made but said that the Government was “in the market” for all necessary preparations.
The WHO said yesterday that it did not recommend travel restrictions because evidence suggested that at present they would not “substantially” help to slow the spread. Nonetheless, the Foreign Office has updated its advice, recommending no non-essential travel to Mexico. Australia Canada, France and Switzerland made similar announcements.
Several major tour operators grounded flights to Mexico and suspended trips to Mexican coastal resorts. Flights on Thomson Airways, involving those booked on packages with the tour operators Thomson and First Choice, were suspended up to and including May 8 and the company said that it would begin repatriating travellers.
Thomas Cook Airlines, which takes Thomas Cook and Airtours holidaymakers to Mexico, suspended flights for the next seven days. German and French tourism groups also suspended trips.
Around the world
— There have been 114 confirmed cases of swine flu: 26 in Mexico, 65 in the US, 13 in Canada, 3 in New Zealand, 2 in Britain, 2 in Spain, 2 in Israel and 1 in Costa Rica. Cases are suspected in several other countries
— Cuba suspended flights to and from Mexico yesterday, the first country to do so Countries including China, Russia, Lebanon and Ecuador have halted pork imports from Mexico and parts of the US
— Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, said that tourists had little to fear from swine flu, because it will only affect people in “slums” in Asia or Mexico
— President Obama asked Congress for an additional $1.5 billion to tackle the outbreak
— The remainder of the Concacaf under17 football championship in Tijuana, Mexico, was cancelled
— Hog futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell by the 3-cent daily trading limit amid persistent fears that the spread of swine flu will dent demand
— EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said that the flu strain should be renamed “novel flu” as the current name was needlessly damaging to the pork industry
— The actor Hugh Jackman canceled a scheduled appearance in Mexico City to promote X-Men Origins: Wolverine
— Arsenal’s Mexican forward, Carlos Vela, was told to stay away from training. The 20-year-old has not been in Mexico recently but had been visited by friends from home last week and has had tests as a precaution. He has now received the all-clear
Friday, April 24, 2009
Maternal height linked to child deaths in India
Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:06pm BST
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A study done in India has found that children born to short women were 70 percent more likely to die before age 5 than those born to taller women, researchers reported on Tuesday.
A look at 50,000 young children found that those whose mothers were shorter than 57 inches were 70 percent more likely to have died by age 5 than those whose mothers were at least 63 inches tall.
Shorter women are likely to be less healthy as adults -- height can indicate a woman's overall health and nutrition from her childhood. Women with a smaller uterus may have more complications during gestation, the researchers said.
"What the study shows is the critical need to invest in children, and especially girls, as the payoff is not only for them as children and adults, but for their offspring as well," said S.V. Subramanian of the Harvard School of Public Health who along with colleagues conducted the research.
Their report, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, said that more than 2 million children younger than 5 years old died in India in 2006.
This is more than in any other country, accounting for about one in four childhood deaths worldwide, according to United Nations data.
The findings "suggest the presence of inter-generational transfer of poor health from mother to offspring," said Subramanian.
"Since maternal height itself is a consequence of a mother's childhood environment, our study is suggestive of the long-run and durable adverse impact of poor childhood conditions of the mother on the health of her offspring 15 to 30 years later."
While the study did not generalize the findings beyond India, the authors did say that maternal height is a useful benchmark which "reflects a mother's health stock accumulated through her life's course" and that a few other studies have linked stunted growth to childhood mortality. (Written by Michael Conlon; editing by Maggie Fox and Doina Chiacu)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A study done in India has found that children born to short women were 70 percent more likely to die before age 5 than those born to taller women, researchers reported on Tuesday.
A look at 50,000 young children found that those whose mothers were shorter than 57 inches were 70 percent more likely to have died by age 5 than those whose mothers were at least 63 inches tall.
Shorter women are likely to be less healthy as adults -- height can indicate a woman's overall health and nutrition from her childhood. Women with a smaller uterus may have more complications during gestation, the researchers said.
"What the study shows is the critical need to invest in children, and especially girls, as the payoff is not only for them as children and adults, but for their offspring as well," said S.V. Subramanian of the Harvard School of Public Health who along with colleagues conducted the research.
Their report, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, said that more than 2 million children younger than 5 years old died in India in 2006.
This is more than in any other country, accounting for about one in four childhood deaths worldwide, according to United Nations data.
The findings "suggest the presence of inter-generational transfer of poor health from mother to offspring," said Subramanian.
"Since maternal height itself is a consequence of a mother's childhood environment, our study is suggestive of the long-run and durable adverse impact of poor childhood conditions of the mother on the health of her offspring 15 to 30 years later."
While the study did not generalize the findings beyond India, the authors did say that maternal height is a useful benchmark which "reflects a mother's health stock accumulated through her life's course" and that a few other studies have linked stunted growth to childhood mortality. (Written by Michael Conlon; editing by Maggie Fox and Doina Chiacu)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Corporal Punishment Can not be Tollerated
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will soon write to Collectors across the country, instructing them to hold meetings with all school heads and convey that no form of corporal punishment will be tolerated.
“These meetings will have to be held ahead of the new academic year,” Commission chairperson Shanta Sinha told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The move followed the recent incident in which 11-year-old Shanno Khan of a Delhi school was brutally punished by her teacher.
“Unless we learn to respect children and treat them as equals, the issue cannot be resolved. It is only because some teachers do not respect children and they call them ‘stupid’ or ‘idiot’. No adult will dare call another adult in these terms, isn’t it?” Prof. Sinha asks.
In 2007, the NCPCR wrote to all Chief Secretaries, stressing the need for abolishing this practice. “…It is being noticed that corporal punishment in schools, both government as well as private, is deeply ingrained as a tool to discipline children and as a normal action. All forms of corporal punishment are a fundamental breach of human rights. A slap is as detrimental to the child’s right as grievous injury. Indeed, there are no gradations since it must be seen that condoning so called ‘small acts’ actually lead to gross violations. It is also legally impermissible…” Ms.Sinha had stated in the letter then. Things have not changed radically in the last two years, if the number of cases of corporal punishment being reported is any indication. “There were a few instances of teachers taking a proactive step to address the issue in States such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Idukki district in Kerala was declared corporal punishment-free. Unfortunately, we did not receive much feedback at the official level.”
Speaking on the role of educational boards in resolving this problem, Prof.Sinha says they play a vital role and need to strictly monitor schools. “In addition to this, parents should be given the confidence to provide feedback at PTA meetings. Many parents, who know that their children are being subjected to corporal punishment, are afraid to raise it at meetings, fearing the students may be victimised further,” she adds.
[source- The Hindu-22.04.2009]
“These meetings will have to be held ahead of the new academic year,” Commission chairperson Shanta Sinha told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The move followed the recent incident in which 11-year-old Shanno Khan of a Delhi school was brutally punished by her teacher.
“Unless we learn to respect children and treat them as equals, the issue cannot be resolved. It is only because some teachers do not respect children and they call them ‘stupid’ or ‘idiot’. No adult will dare call another adult in these terms, isn’t it?” Prof. Sinha asks.
In 2007, the NCPCR wrote to all Chief Secretaries, stressing the need for abolishing this practice. “…It is being noticed that corporal punishment in schools, both government as well as private, is deeply ingrained as a tool to discipline children and as a normal action. All forms of corporal punishment are a fundamental breach of human rights. A slap is as detrimental to the child’s right as grievous injury. Indeed, there are no gradations since it must be seen that condoning so called ‘small acts’ actually lead to gross violations. It is also legally impermissible…” Ms.Sinha had stated in the letter then. Things have not changed radically in the last two years, if the number of cases of corporal punishment being reported is any indication. “There were a few instances of teachers taking a proactive step to address the issue in States such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Idukki district in Kerala was declared corporal punishment-free. Unfortunately, we did not receive much feedback at the official level.”
Speaking on the role of educational boards in resolving this problem, Prof.Sinha says they play a vital role and need to strictly monitor schools. “In addition to this, parents should be given the confidence to provide feedback at PTA meetings. Many parents, who know that their children are being subjected to corporal punishment, are afraid to raise it at meetings, fearing the students may be victimised further,” she adds.
[source- The Hindu-22.04.2009]
Monday, April 20, 2009
A gory Incidence of Corporal Punishment in MCD School
Shano Khan, a Class II student, slipped into coma on Wednesday after Manju, her class teacher at the MCD primary school in Narela, allegedly punished her by making her stand in the scorching heat for more than an hour on Thursday. The girl had reportedly failed to translate a word in English. Shano was shifted to
[source- The Indian Express- 19-04-2009]
According to the sister of Shanno, the teacher even placed seven bricks on her back. Shanno fell unconscious on retuning from school and was admitted to
Municipal commisioner K.S Mehra has ordered an inquiry into the incident abd asked tghe Chief Vigilance Officer to submit a reprt within two days....
[source- The Hindu-19-04-2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Initiatives towards Elimination of Child Labour – Action Plan and Present Strategy
The problem of child labour continues to pose a challenge before the nation. Government has been taking various pro-active measures to tackle this problem. However, considering the magnitude and extent of the problem and that it is essentially a socio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy, it requires concerted efforts from all sections of the society to make a dent in the problem.
Way back in 1979, Government formed the first committee called Gurupadswamy Committee to study the issue of child labour and to suggest measures to tackle it. The Committee examined the problem in detail and made some far-reaching recommendations. It observed that as long as poverty continued, it would be difficult to totally eliminate child labour and hence, any attempt to abolish it through legal recourse would not be a practical proposition. The Committee felt that in the circumstances, the only alternative left was to ban child labour in hazardous areas and to regulate and ameliorate the conditions of work in other areas. It recommended that a multiple policy approach was required in dealing with the problems of working children.
Based on the recommendations of Gurupadaswamy Committee, the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986. The Act prohibits employment of children in certain specified hazardous occupations and processes and regulates the working conditions in others. The list of hazardous occupations and processes is progressively being expanded on the recommendation of Child Labour Technical Advisory Committee constituted under the Act.
In consonance with the above approach, a National Policy on Child Labour was formulated in 1987. The Policy seeks to adopt a gradual & sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations & processes in the first instance. The Action Plan outlined in the Policy for tackling this problem is as follows:
-
Legislative Action Plan for strict enforcement of Child Labour Act and other labour laws to ensure that children are not employed in hazardous employments, and that the working conditions of children working in non-hazardous areas are regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Child Labour Act. It also entails further identification of additional occupations and processes, which are detrimental to the health and safety of the children.
-
Focusing of General Developmental Programmes for Benefiting Child Labour - As poverty is the root cause of child labour, the action plan emphasizes the need to cover these children and their families also under various poverty alleviation and employment generation schemes of the Government.
-
Project Based Plan of Action envisages starting of projects in areas of high concentration of child labour. Pursuant to this, in 1988, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme was launched in 9 districts of high child labour endemicity in the country. The Scheme envisages running of special schools for child labour withdrawn from work. In the special schools, these children are provided formal/non-formal education along with vocational training, a stipend of Rs.100 per month, supplementary nutrition and regular health check ups so as to prepare them to join regular mainstream schools. Under the Scheme, funds are given to the District Collectors for running special schools for child labour. Most of these schools are run by the NGOs in the district.
Government has accordingly been taking proactive steps to tackle this problem through strict enforcement of legislative provisions along with simultaneous rehabilitative measures. State Governments, which are the appropriate implementing authorities, have been conducting regular inspections and raids to detect cases of violations. Since poverty is the root cause of this problem, and enforcement alone cannot help solve it, Government has been laying a lot of emphasis on the rehabilitation of these children and on improving the economic conditions of their families.
Strategy for the elimination of child labour under the 10th Plan
An evaluation of the Scheme was carried out by independent agencies in coordination with V. V. Giri National Labour Institute in 2001. Based on the recommendations of the evaluation and experience of implementing the scheme since 1988, the strategy for implementing the scheme during the 10th Plan was devised. It aimed at greater convergence with the other developmental schemes and bringing qualitative changes in the Scheme. Some of the salient points of the 10th Plan Strategy are as follows:
-
Focused and reinforced action to eliminate child labour in the hazardous occupations by the end of the Plan period.
-
Expansion of National Child Labour Projects to additional 150 districts.
-
Linking the child labour elimination efforts with the Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of Ministry of Human Resource Development to ensure that children in the age group of 5-8 years get directly admitted to regular schools and that the older working children are mainstreamed to the formal education system through special schools functioning under the NCLP Scheme.
-
Convergence with other Schemes of the Departments of Education, Rural Development, Health and Women and Child Development for the ultimate attainment of the objective in a time bound manner.
The Government and the Ministry of Labour & Employment in particular, are rather serious in their efforts to fight and succeed in this direction. The number of districts covered under the NCLP Scheme has been increased from 100 to 250, as mentioned above in this note. In addition, 21 districts have been covered under INDUS, a similar Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour in cooperation with US Department of Labour. Implementation of this Project was recently reviewed during the visit of Mr. Steven Law, Deputy Secretary of State, from the USA. For the Districts not covered under these two Schemes, Government is also providing funds directly to the NGOs under the Ministry’s Grants-in-aid Scheme for running Special Schools for rehabilitation of child labour, thereby providing for a greater role and cooperation of the civil society in combating this menace.
Elimination of child labour is the single largest programme in this Ministry’s activities. Apart from a major increase in the number of districts covered under the scheme, the priority of the Government in this direction is evident in the quantum jump in budgetary allocation during the 10th Plan. Government has allocated Rs. 602 crores for the Scheme during the 10th Plan, as against an expenditure of Rs. 178 crores in the 9th Plan. The resources set aside for combating this evil in the Ministry is around 50 per cent of its total annual budget.
The implementation of NCLP and INDUS Schemes is being closely monitored through periodical reports, frequent visits and meetings with the District and State Government officials. The Government’s commitment to achieve tangible results in this direction in a time bound manner is also evident from the fact that in the recent Regional Level Conferences of District Collectors held in Hyderabad, Pune, Mussoorie and Kolkata district-wise review of the Scheme was conducted at the level of Secretary. These Conferences provided an excellent opportunity to have one-to-one interaction with the Collectors, who play a pivotal role in the implementation of these Schemes in the District. Besides, these Conferences also helped in a big way in early operationalisation of Scheme in the newly selected 150 districts.
The Government is committed to eliminate child labour in all its forms and is moving in this direction in a targeted manner. The multipronged strategy being followed by the Government to achieve this objective also found its echo during the recent discussions held in the Parliament on the Private Member’s Bill tabled by Shri Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi. It was unanimously recognized therein that the problem of child labour, being inextricably linked with poverty and illiteracy, cannot be solved by legislation alone, and that a holistic, multipronged and concerted effort to tackle this problem will bring in the desired results.
(Source-: http://labour.nic.in/cwl/ChildLabour.htm)
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Nithari killings case verdict postponed
Ghaziabad: A special CBI court on Wednesday postponed its verdict in the alleged rape and murder of a minor in the Nithari killings case after it decieded to re-examine a Uttar Pradesh police officer who led the initial probe in the incident. Special CBI judge Rama Jain asked Dinesh Kumar Yadav, a UP police officer, who led the initial probe in the case, to appear before court on April for re-examination. Yadav is also the key witness in the rape and murder case of eight year old Aarti, one of the victims in the sensational serial killings.
(The Hindu- Thursday April 02, 2009)Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Scene of the Batla House slum areas is disastrous and alarming,
The Scene of the Batla House slum areas is disastrous and alarming, which seeks special treatment from the part of civil society... If we could believe the Observation of CRA Team on the15th of March,2009... Nothing good is available there for living a life. In lingua franca this slum is known as Beesfuta...... As per the observation more than 90% children of slumdwellers are out of school, there could be various reason behind it . Forget child health.. even accurate child nutrition and nourishment is not available.. Child Mortality rate is very high.... Most of the Adolescents are Illiterate, engulfed in substantial abuse, smoking and chewing tobacco is very common among them...and offcourse petty crimes like theft, snatching, etc are on increasing trend. Obviously these are the common phenomenon of Slum Areas ... Nobody knows what is there future... almost, all the slum of Batla House and near by areas are situated on the floodland of Yamuna and most of them are living on temporary hutments. Although there are so called landlords of the said land, who are permitting these people to reside on their land and in consideration they charge some amount of rent. It also saves their land to be occupied by the Land mafias and others. From the government side, all the area has been listed as unauthorized habitation. Not to be permitted for Settlements. Unemployment is on large scale, those who are employed.... most of them are Rickshaw pullers... Paniwalas, labourers, housemaids etc... Almost slumdweller are migrants of Bihar and West Bengal. On an approximate they constitute 70 and 25 percent respectively.. Further Detail of report will be posted very soon on the Blog...
As concern as our role, we can be the flag bearers of the change in this slum area and other similar Slums of the city like Madanpur Khadar, Deoli, Sangamvihar, Jasola, Srinivaspuri slum, Bhajanpura slum, Brahmpuri slum etc.... A similar observation will be carried over in future course of time, by the CRA Team in the said similar slums . But not being too much ambitious and pompous.. Atleast we can initiate our aim to ensure the educational rights of the children from these slums.. let us begin from the Slum Areas of Batla house i.e. Beesfuta..
As concern as our role, we can be the flag bearers of the change in this slum area and other similar Slums of the city like Madanpur Khadar, Deoli, Sangamvihar, Jasola, Srinivaspuri slum, Bhajanpura slum, Brahmpuri slum etc.... A similar observation will be carried over in future course of time, by the CRA Team in the said similar slums . But not being too much ambitious and pompous.. Atleast we can initiate our aim to ensure the educational rights of the children from these slums.. let us begin from the Slum Areas of Batla house i.e. Beesfuta..
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Idgaah....an open place to offer the prayer of Eid
Idgaah A case in point is one of his enlightening works Idgaah (An open place to offer the prayer of Eid) a heart-wrenching story – setting the emotions in motion that kids wear naturally... | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Print
Friday, March 20, 2009
Analysis of the survey on the children of Batla house slum to be held
As we know, the Child Rights Advocates team went for a survey on the children of Batla house slum at 1 pm.(LAST SUNDAY). Now an analysis of the said survey is to be held on Coming SUNDAY at 4.30pm, in Ghalib Lawn, Jamia. All the team members are requested to be with the team. Others are also invited..... Please communicate this massage to all the concerned...
thanking you,
thanking you,
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Twenty nine-year old software engineer, arrested on charges of killing his unwanted four-day-old daughter into a 30-feet well
Twenty nine-year old software engineer, arrested on charges of killing his unwanted four-day-old daughter into a 30-feet well, has been remanded to judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate's court.
Niranjan Kumar married Sangeetha a year ago.
Niranjan reportedly did not want to have a child for at least five years after their marriage.
Seven months ago, Sangeetha conceived and moved to her parent's house, after her husband allegedly pressurised her to undergo abortion.
After hearing the news of Sangeetha's delivery on March 9, Niranjan came to Chennai from Bangalore. He visited the hospital along with his parents and took Sangeetha to his parent's house.
On Friday morning Sangeetha was startled to find the infant missing.
After knowing about the baby, Sangeetha immediately informed the police and the fire brigade officials, who recovered the infant's body.
"Niranjan has to be punished. His parents have only given negative thoughts to him. My sister had been given sleeping tablet to fall into deep sleep. Niranjan took the child and threw her into the well," alleged Rajasekhar, Sangeetha's brother.
"We informed the police and the fire brigade after knowing about the baby. Police arrived and arrested Niranjan. Niranjan has also accepted his crime," Rajasekhar added.A survey on the children of Batla house slum
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Batla House and the Missing Children
Batla House and the missing children...
Everyday or two we can listen an announcement from the Mosque that any certain child is missing from the house or the locality of Batla House. One can not say how many people are taking the news very sincerely. It might be possible that duty bearers are also unaware of these developments in the Batla House. But this is not a very new phenomenon in the suburbs of Delhi. If we could believe on newspapers and magazine, barely two weeks ago it was published in many newspapers that in Delhi alone 6 children are missing daily. The point to be noted here is that no any stakeholders are showing any serious attention towards this looming danger. Peoples are very busy in their day to day business. But who knows this utter negligence is going to be responsible for next big scandal grinner than Nithari. So beware the duty bearers and get up from the cool asleep. Ensure urgent steps to curb this menace. Kahin Der Na Ho Jaye....
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Prophet Muhammad and child rights
Happy Holi and Eid-e-miladunnabi,the birth day of prophet Muhammad.
Prophet Muahammad was the greatest saviour of Girl child. He fought a decisive battle against the infanticide of girl child. He ensured the rights of girl chid in the Arab society. It was his great effort which facilitated the concept of giving share in parental property to the girls and Females in the world.
Prophet Muahammad was the greatest saviour of Girl child. He fought a decisive battle against the infanticide of girl child. He ensured the rights of girl chid in the Arab society. It was his great effort which facilitated the concept of giving share in parental property to the girls and Females in the world.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
CHILD RIGHTS ADVOCATES
Every Child Has Rights, We Should Ensure it
ENSURE.......C - Care and Protection
H - Health&Nutrition
I - Innovative Education
L - Legal Safeguards & Participation
D - Development
For All Children
Rights of the Child
As a follow-up of this commitment and being a party to the UN declaration on the Rights of the Child 1959, India adopted the National Policy on Children in 1974. The policy reaffirmed the constitutional provisions and stated that "it shall be the policy of the State to provide adequate services to children, both before and after birth and through the period of growth to ensure their full physical, mental and social development. The State shall progressively increase the scope of such services so that within a reasonable time all children in the country enjoy optimum conditions for their balanced growth." As the responsibility of children's nurture and proper growth is bestowed on the Government, children's programmes have occupied a prominent place in the national plans for human resource development. Successive Five Year Plans have provided the wherewithal to deal with these issues. In the last decade of this century, dramatic technological developments particularly in the areas of health, nutrition, education and related spheres have opened up new vistas of opportunities for the cause of children. India's Commitment Towards Children's Rights The Constitution of India, the National Policy for Children, many other policies and legislation accord priority to children's needs. The Government of India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 2nd December, 1992. Accordingly, the government is taking action to review the national and state legislation and bring it in line with the provisions of the Convention. It has also developed appropriate monitoring procedures to assess progress in implementing the Convention, involved all relevant government/ministries/departments, international agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the legal profession in the implementation and reporting process, publicised the Convention, and sought public inputs for frank and transparent reporting. India is also a signatory to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. In pursuance of the commitment made at the World Summit, the Department of Women and Child Development under the Ministry of Human Resource Development has formulated a National Plan of Action for Children. Most of the recommendations of the World Summit Action Plan are reflected in India's National Plan of Action. The National Plan of Action has been formulated keeping in mind the needs, rights and aspirations of 300 million children in the country and sets out quantifiable time limits for India's Charter of Action for Children by 2000 AD. The priority areas in the Plan are health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and environment. The Plan gives special consideration to children in difficult circumstances and aims at providing a framework, for actualisation of the objectives of the Convention in the Indian context. The National Plan of Action also lists out activities to achieve these goals. To make the aims and activities of the plan more need-based and area-specific, the Central Government has urged the State governments to prepare a Plan of Action for Children for their States, taking into account the regional disparities that may exist. The Girl ChildThe slogan of the Indian government for the Girl Child campaign was "A Happy Girl is the Future of our Country". Traditions, customs and social practices that place greater value on sons than on daughters, who are often viewed as an economic burden, still stand in the way of the girl child being able to achieve her full potential. A sustained educational campaign by the government and the NGOs has been started to ensure that baseless discrimination against the girl child is eliminated. The Government of India has taken measures to protect and promote the Girl Child. It has announced its "Education for All" campaign which is to reach 19-24 million children in the age group 6-14, of whom 60 percent are girls. A National Plan of Action for the Girl Child for 1991-2000 was also announced. This plan seeks to prevent female foeticide and infanticide, eliminate gender discrimination, provide safe drinking water and fodder near homes, rehabilitate and protect girls from exploitation, assault and abuse. The government's national policy of education and the Action Research Project on "The Girl Child and the Family" are also aimed at formulation of programs to improve the status of the girl child. Street ChildrenIt is estimated that there are 314,700 street children in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Kanpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad combined and about 100,000 in Delhi. Factors which have given rise to the increase in number of street children in India include poverty, family break-ups, armed conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, lack of employment opportunities and the attraction of cities. Street Children have received much attention in the media, both national and international in the recent years. The awareness and sensitization efforts have led to several initiatives involving numerous groups working with street children, launching of specific schemes and programs at the local, state and national level and initiation of numerous studies on street children. Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs in India are doing laudable work in this area and are dealing with issues related to shelter, health, education and training of these children. A Central Scheme for the welfare of street children has recently been initiated by the Ministry of Welfare, Government of India. This scheme gives grant-in-aid to NGOs working on issues of street children. India has also ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child which came into force in 1990. This ratification implies that India will ensure wide awareness about Child issues among the government agencies, implementing agencies, the media, the judiciary, the public at large and the children themselves. The Government's endeavour is to create a conducive climate for acceptance of the goals of the Convention and to amend all legislation, policies and schemes to meet the standards set in the treaty framework. CHILD RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD :
UNICEF’s mission is to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided in doing this by the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. These basic standards—also called human rights—set minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being everywhere. With these rights comes the obligation on both governments and individuals not to infringe on the parallel rights of others. These standards are both interdependent and indivisible; we cannot ensure some rights without—or at the expense of—other rights. A legally binding instrument The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under 18 years old often need special care and protection that adults do not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that the world recognized that children have human rights too. The Convention sets out these rights in 54 articles and two Optional Protocols. It spells out the basic human rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; to develop to the fullest; to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life. The four core principles of the Convention are non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Every right spelled out in the Convention is inherent to the human dignity and harmonious development of every child. The Convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care; education; and legal, civil and social services. By agreeing to undertake the obligations of the Convention (by ratifying or acceding to it), national governments have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring children's rights and they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community. States parties to the Convention are obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests of the child. Child Abuse UNCRC a mile stone for Child Rights This convention has given a strong weapon in the hands of various stakeholder to serve the cause of child rights. Duty bearers should ensure it. |
your feedback is appreciated.
email: childrightsadvocates@gmail.com
visit :www.childrightsadvocates.we.bs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)