NCPCR reveals 26,000 cases resolved, 2,300 children rescued across India at Arunachal conference
Guwahati: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) reported that it resolved nearly 26,000 cases and rescued over 2,300 children across India in the past six months, highlighting the ongoing challenges in child protection.
Paresh Shah, head of the Juvenile Justice, POCSO, and special cells division, emphasised that child rights violations are more than just numbers, noting that each case represents the story of a child and a family whose future depends on timely government intervention.
Speaking at a state-level conference in Arunachal Pradesh on gaps and challenges in implementing child rights laws, Shah said that although both central and state governments are committed to protecting every child, strong legislation alone is not enough.
Effective monitoring, public awareness, and coordinated enforcement are also crucial. During the same period, the Commission also repatriated more than 1,000 children to their home districts, aided by new technology-driven systems implemented by NCPCR.
Looking forward, Shah said the Commission plans to focus on mental health support for children, use AI tools to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Material, and develop new strategies to address challenges in enforcing child protection laws.
He stressed that protecting child rights requires cooperation among government officials, schools, law enforcement, and civil society. Continuous training, capacity building, and public awareness are essential to strengthen child safety systems.
Ratan Anya, chairperson of Arunachal Pradesh SCPCR, presented an overview of the state’s child protection scenario, identifying gaps in safety, monitoring, and reporting.
She highlighted that recent incidents revealed weaknesses in POCSO investigations, low stakeholder awareness, insufficient measures against child trafficking and child labour, weak enforcement of anti-tobacco rules under COTPA, and inadequate monitoring of residential schools.
Anya called for more awareness campaigns and recommended sustained school audits by the Education Department.
State Education Commissioner Amzad Tatak urged district officials to enforce school safety norms seriously, following guidelines in the NCPCR manual on children’s safety and security in schools.
He added that a task force led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu has been set up to strengthen child rights mechanisms in schools, describing the conference as a timely step in addressing urgent concerns.