India’s Supreme child rights panel, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will complete five years when it celebrates its foundation day Monday.
“The last five years of the NCPCR have shown that it is possible to fight all forms of violence and discrimination against children by working unitedly against the common goal of making the world a better place for children,” said a statement from the panel.
“This year, we have been able to finally formulate a set of guidelines for eliminating corporal punishment in school and all other settings which will be released Monday,” it said.
Headed by Shanta Sinha, the NCPCR was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, to ensure that the laws, policies, programmes and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective.
Recently, the NCPCR has also taken suo moto cognisance in cases such as that of baby Falak who had been battered and abandoned at the All Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Other than the launch of guidelines on corporal punishment, the NCPCR foundation day will also have a lecture from UN Special Rapporteur on Right to Education Kishore Singh. It will also be addressed by Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath, and Women and Child Development Secretary Neela Gangadharan.