News Analysis India

Tag: NCPCR

  • NCERT’s gender-neutral training manual no longer available on its website

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NCERT’s new training manual on inclusion of transgender children in schools which ran into a controversy over its content is no longer available on the council’s website.

    There was no response from NCERT officials about whether the manual had been taken down after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sought rectification of “anomalies” in the document.

    ALSO READ: NCPCR asks NCERT to rectify ‘anomalies’ in gender-neutral teacher training manual

    The new manual for teachers titled “Inclusion of Transgender Children in School Education: Concerns and Roadmap” aims to educate and sensitise them towards the LGBTQ+ community and different gender orientations.

    It highlights practices and strategies to make schools sensitive and inclusive for transgender and gender non-conforming children.

    These strategies include the provision of gender-neutral toilets and uniforms, sensitisation on non-teaching staff, discontinuing practices that segregate children into various school activities based on their gender, inviting members of transgender community to speak on campus, among others.

    Asserting that NCERT’s gender-neutral teacher training manual will deny equal rights to children of diverse biological needs, the NCPCR sought rectification in the document.

    It also claimed the text of the manual suggests gender-neutral infrastructure for children that does not commensurate with their gender realities and basic needs.

    “The idea of creating and removing binaries shall deny them equal rights of children of diverse biological needs. Second, this approach will expose children to unnecessary psychological trauma due to contradictory environments at home and in school,” the NCPCR had said in a letter to NCERT.

    “It is also highlighted in the manual (chapter 3) that teachers are suggested to discuss with students about puberty blockers and its availability for adolescents,” the letter read.

  • Congress, BJP in Madhya Pradesh spar over ‘Kanya Pujan’

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL:  The objection of Congress to the Kanya Pujan of minor girls — couple of them wearing saffron turbans — by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the bypoll-bound Raigaon (SC) constituency has kicked up a political row in the central Indian state.

    On Friday, the CM had performed Kanya Pujan of minor girls to mark Dussehra festivities during the poll campaign in Raigaon. Picking up the matter, Congress leader Narendra Saluja had questioned why two girls were made to wear turbans resembling the colour of BJP flag.

    “We don’t have objection to Kanya Pujan, but object to politicisation of the ritual. By making the girls  wear turbans resembling the colour of BJP flag, the CM has politicised the Kanya Pujan. Where is the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which had written to administration for acting against Congress leader Ajay Singh over remarks about children consuming drugs,” Saluja tweeted on Friday. Now the same tweet has been made into a weapon by the ruling BJP.

    “Kanya Pujan is our proud tradition, but the Congress is against it. We will perform it, not once but multiple times,” the state BJP chief said on Saturday. On Sunday, it was the CM’s own turn to target the Congress over the issue. “The Congress leaders are opposing Kanya Pujan by me. Then what shall I do, perform Congress Pujan. Kanya Pujan is our long- standing proud tradition. For me, Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are my sisters, and all daughters symboilise Devis (goddesses),” he said.

    NCPCR has set guidelinesThe NCPCR had in 2017, issued guidelines, banning use of children in poll campaign or related works. It had recently written to Satna district collector to act against senior Congress leader Ajay Singh over his remarks about children consuming drugs

  • NCPCR seeks explanation from Digvijaya Singh over comments on students of RSS-backed schools 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Apex child rights body NCPCR on Monday sought explanation from Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh over his alleged remarks that students are taught hatred in RSS-backed Saraswati Shishu Mandir schools.

    The National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also wrote to the Madhya Pradesh DGP to probe the matter and submit a report within seven days.

    According to media reports, Singh alleged that Saraswati Shishu Mandir was “sowing the seeds of hatred in the minds of young kids”.

    Acting on a complaint, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote to Singh, seeking an explanation for his comments.

    “The remarks allegedly made by you appear to hurt the honour and character of all the children studying in Saraswati Shishu Mandir Schools.

    Prima facie the comment made by you appears to be in violation of the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

    Along with this, it also appears to be contrary to the principles of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015,” Kanoongo said in his letter to Singh.

    “If you wish to give any specific factual information regarding the statement made by you to the Commission, please kindly make it available to the Commission within three days of receipt of the letter,” the NCPCR chief told Singh.

  • NCPCR writes to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot over marriage registration bill

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NCPCR has written to the Rajasthan chief minister’s office expressing apprehensions over the Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2021, saying it “legitimises” child marriages.

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in its letter, said the Section 8 of the amendment bill provides for registration of child marriages through marriage registration officers of the place where they have been residing for more than 30 days.

    The commission feared the enactment of the bill may have a serious impact on the physical, psychological, and social state of the minors, and their education.

    ​ALSO READ | Rajasthan passes bill to register child marriages, minister says move does not mean wedlocks valid

    It asked the government to reconsider the bill and review it in accordance with the law and welfare of the children in the state.

    “The bill — states that the marriage between the bridegroom who has not completed 21 years and the bride who has not completed 18 years of age could be registered by the parents or guardians within the 30 days of the marriage,” the NCPCR said in the letter on Friday.

    The commission said the bill “legitimises” child marriages in Rajasthan.

    The Rajasthan Assembly had last week passed the bill amending a 2009 Act.

    The bill has fomented a considerable controversy eliciting even a public interest litigation over the legitimacy of the said section.

  • COVID-19: Over one lakh children need care and protection, NCPCR tells SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has told the Supreme Court that over one lakh children are in need of care and protection as they are either orphaned, lost one of their parents or are abandoned during the COVID-19 pandemic from April last year.

    In an additional affidavit filed in the apex court, the NCPCR has given details of the number of children who have lost either their mother or father or both between April 1, 2020, to August 23 this year based on the information uploaded on its ‘Bal Swaraj’ portal by the states and Union Territories.

    It said as per the information uploaded on the portal up to August 23, there are total of 1,01,032 children who are in need of care and protection.

    As per the data, there are 8,161 children who have become orphans, 92,475 have lost either of their parents and 396 have been abandoned.

    The affidavit, filed by advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi, said out of the total 1,01,032 children — 52,532 are boys, 48,495 are girls and five are transgender.

    It said out of these total children, 10,980 are in the age group of 0-3 years while 16,182 are in the age group of 16 to up to 18 years.

    The affidavit was filed in the apex court which is hearing a suo motu matter on the contagion of COVID-19 in children protection homes.

    The matter was heard on Thursday by a bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose.

    Giving state-wise details based on the information uploaded on the portal, the affidavit said in Maharashtra, there are total 15,401 such children out of whom 470 are orphans, 14,925 have lost one parents and six have been abandoned.

    It said in Delhi, there are 5,391 such children out of whom 275 have become orphans, 5,101 have lost one parents and 15 are abandoned.

    It said these data includes the number of children provided in the affidavits filed in the matter in May, June and July in the top court.

    “It is most respectfully submitted that the digital platform is new for many officers uploading the information and NCPCR is collating data manually to put them in the categories in the given table, for example age group etc, therefore, the possibility of human error cannot be ruled out although NCPCR has taken due care in collating data.

    On few earlier occasions duplication in data upload got identified, which was corrected in due course,” it said.

    The affidavit said data analysis by NCPCR regarding uploaded individual child entry is in the process.

    “It is humbly submitted that NCPCR is examining the data of each child and informing authorities over telephone to get required information and also sending letters in this regard.

    It is respectfully submitted that NCPCR has analysed the data of 3284 children on the ‘Bal Swaraj’ Portal of 16 States/ UTs so far, where the child details/ information had been uploaded up to stage-6 and issued letters to the district authorities for removing discrepancies or for completion of incomplete data on the portal,” it said.

    The affidavit said that NCPCR has got information that some unknown person is using a fake e-mail id in the name of chairperson of NCPCR and is seeking sensitive and confidential information or data of children.

    It said in the e-mail, the person was also found to be using the name of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India as well.

    It said State (CID), Cyber Crime Police, Himachal Pradesh has been requested to conduct an inquiry and register an FIR in the matter so as to identify the person who is illegally using the name of government department and claiming himself or herself to be a public servant.

    The NCPCR had earlier informed the top court that as many as 30,071 children were orphaned, lost a parent or abandoned mostly due to the pandemic as per the data provided by different states and Union Territories on the ‘Bal Swaraj’ portal till June 5.

    The NCPCR had given the break up in its earlier affidavit which said there were 3,621 orphans, 26,176 children who have lost one parent and 274 children who have been abandoned.

    The apex court had earlier passed a slew of directions for care and protection of children who have become orphans or have lost one parent or abandoned during the pandemic.

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  • 721 children in child care institutions of 11 states/UTs contracted COVID-19 since outbreak: RTI

    According to the commission #39;s data, no death due to the coronavirus infection has been reported among children residing in CCIs from these 11 states and UTs.

  • Children admitted to hospital made to sit in scorching heat in MP; NCPCR seeks action

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Apex child rights body NCPCR has sought strict action against those who allegedly made children admitted to a hospital ward in Madhya Pradesh sit in scorching heat for crowd mobilisation at a function.

    In a letter to the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary on Saturday, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said during the inauguration of an oxygen plant at the district hospital in Vidisha, the relatives of hospitalised patients and children admitted in the child ward were forcibly taken to the venue by the guards and nurses.

    The NCPCR pointed out that the district collector was also present at the function.

    “The admitted children were made to sit in the hot sun for two hours at the venue, which primarily appears to be a violation of section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015,” it said.

    Taking cognizance of the incident, the commission requested the chief secretary to get the matter investigated under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, take appropriate action against the guilty officers and send a detailed action-taken report to it within seven days.

  • NCPCR summons Facebook officials over Rahul Gandhi’s Instagram post

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:The country’s apex child rights body NCPCR has summoned Facebook officials Tuesday for not responding to its notice flagging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Instagram post allegedly revealing the identity of a nine-year-old rape and murder victim.

    The latest NCPCR communication to Facebook, which owns the photo and video-sharing social networking platform Instagram, follows its notice seeking action against Gandhi’s profile for posting a video of the affected family.

    “However, no reply/action taken report has been received by you,” the commission said in its follow-up letter.

    The commission has now asked Facebook officials to appear at 5 pm Tuesday in-person at the NCPCR Office in Janpath or through video conferencing along with the details of the action taken.

    Earlier, the NCPCR had asked Facebook to take appropriate action against the Instagram profile of Gandhi over the alleged violation of provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Indian Penal Code, and demanded the removal of the video.

    Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a child in any form of media and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012, also states that no information or photo of a child should be published in any form of media which could reveal the identity of the child.

    This information under Section 23 of the POCSO Act includes his/her name, address, photograph, family details, school, neighbourhood or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of the child.

    On August 4, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote to Twitter, asking it to take action against the handle of Gandhi for posting the photo of the family.

    The microblogging site blocked the account of Gandhi following the complaint.

    Twitter on its part has said that it has followed the due process as Gandhi’s tweet on the family of the victim was against its rules and the law.

    A Congress leader Saturday the account has now been restored.

    Gandhi last week met the family of the nine-year-old girl and asserted that he is with them on the path to justice and “will not back down even an inch”.

    Later, he posted a picture of his meeting with the girl’s parents on Twitter and wrote in Hindi, “Parents’ tears are saying only one thing their daughter, the daughter of this country, deserves justice.

    And I am with them on this path to justice”.

    The girl died under mysterious circumstances when she went to get water from a cooler at a crematorium in the Old Nangal area in southwest Delhi.

    The girl’s parents alleged that she was raped and her body forcibly cremated by a crematorium priest who had falsely claimed that she was electrocuted.

    Hundreds of locals, including the victim’s parents, have been staging a protest near the site of the incident, demanding capital punishment for the accused.

  • Revealing details about rape victim: After Twitter, NCPCR demands action against Instagram profile of Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: After Twitter, apex child rights body NCPCR on Friday asked Facebook to take action against the Instagram profile of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for posting a photo of the family of the nine-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in southwest Delhi, saying it violated the law.

    On August 4, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote to Twitter, asking it to take action against the handle of Gandhi for posting the photo of the family.

    The microblogging site blocked the account of Gandhi following the complaint.

    In a letter to Facebook, the Commission said it has come across a video posted on the Instagram profile of Gandhi wherein the identity of the victim minor girl’s family has been disclosed.

    In this video the faces of the father and the mother of the deceased girl can be clearly seen, which is in violation of the prescribed provisions of law, it added.

    The NCPCR asked Facebook for taking appropriate action against the Instagram profile of Gandhi over violation of provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Indian Penal Code, and demanded the removal of the video from the platform.

    Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, prohibits the disclosure of identity of a child in any form of media and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012, also states that no information or photo of a child should be published in any form of media which could reveal the identity of the child.

    ALSO READ | ‘Not a neutral, objective platform’: Rahul lashes out at Twitter day after Congress accounts get blocked

    This information under Section 23 of the POCSO Act includes his/her name, address, photograph, family details, school, neighbourhood or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of the child.

    “Therefore, posting of the video of the minor victim’s family on social media platform-Instagram has been observed by the Commission to be a violation of Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012, Section 228A of the IPC and the guidelines of the Hon’ble Court as well.

    “In view of the same, the Commission deems it appropriate to take suo-moto cognisance under Section 13(1) and notice under Section 14 of the CPCR Act, 2005 in this matter,” the NCPCR said.

    “Accordingly, the link to the Instagram video is being forwarded for taking appropriate action against the Instagram profile of Rahul Gandhi for violation of provisions of JJ Act, 2015, POCSO Act, 2012 and IPC and removal of the Instagram video from the platform,” it added.

    Gandhi last week met the family of the nine-year-old girl and asserted that he is with them on the path to justice and “will not back down even an inch”.

    Later, he posted a picture of his meeting with the girl’s parents on Twitter and wrote in Hindi, “Parents’ tears are saying only one thing, their daughter, the daughter of this country, deserves justice. And I am with them on this path to justice.”

    The girl died under mysterious circumstances when she went to get water from a cooler at a crematorium in the Old Nangal area in southwest Delhi.

    The girl’s parents alleged that she was raped and her body forcibly cremated by a crematorium priest who had falsely claimed that she was electrocuted.

    Hundreds of locals, including the victim’s parents, have been staging a protest near the site of the incident, demanding capital punishment for the accused.

  • Lawyer files complaint against Rahul Gandhi for disclosing Nangal rape victim’s identity

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: A Delhi-based lawyer Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint in Delhi Police against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly disclosing Delhi’s Nangal rape victim’s identity.

    Advocate Vineet Jindal, practising advocate, in his complaint stated that the Congress MP from his Twitter handle @RahulGandhi shared his own photo along with the father and mother of the child victim which becomes discloser of the identity of the minor victim.

    The complainant requested the Delhi Police to lodge an FIR against Rahul Gandhi under relevant sections and take strict legal action. The complaint further stated that the act of Rahul Gandhi is an offence under section 23 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 74 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 228A of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

    In the same matter, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday also issued notice to Twitter India asking it to take action against the Twitter handle of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly for violating the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by revealing Delhi’s Nangal rape victim’s identity.

    ALSO READ: NCPCR seeks action against Rahul Gandhi for posting photo of rape victim’s kin

    Taking to Twitter, Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of NCPCR said the child rights body took action after taking cognisance of reports saying the Congress leader sabotaged the identity of the minor rape victim by posting the photograph of her parents on microblogging site.

    एक पीड़ित बच्ची के माता पिता की फ़ोटो ट्वीट कर उनकी पहचान उजागर कर #POCSO ऐक्ट का उल्लंघन करने पर @NCPCR_ ने संज्ञान लेते हुए @TwitterIndia को नोटिस जारी कर श्री राहुल गांधी के ट्विटर हैंडल के विरुद्ध कार्यवाही करने एवं पोस्ट हटाने के लिए नोटिस जारी किया है। pic.twitter.com/cVquij6jx3
    — प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) August 4, 2021
    On Wednesday morning, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the family of the minor girl who was allegedly raped, murdered and cremated without her parents’ consent in Delhi’s Old Nangal crematorium.

    After meeting with the family, he assured his support to the family. Rahul Gandhi also tweeted about his meeting and shared a picture of him with the victim’s parents on Twitter.

    On August 1, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by a priest and three employees of a crematorium near Delhi Cantonment in southwest Delhi, the police had said.

    The Delhi Police registered a case against four accused on the basis of the statement of the minor’s mother who alleged that her daughter was raped, murdered and cremated without their consent on Sunday.

    The accused persons have been booked under Sections 302, 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, along with the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act.