NCPCR rescues over 2,300 children in six months, calls for stronger monitoring and awareness

ITANAGAR: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has said that in the past six months, it disposed of around 26,000 cases and rescued more than 2,300 children across the country. Division head for Juvenile Justice, POCSO and special cells of NCPCR, Paresh Shah, however, said that child rights violations are not mere statistics and each case represents a story of a child and a family. Effective action by officials determines not only the lives of children but the future of the country, he said. Shah stated that both the Central and state governments are committed to safeguarding every child in Arunachal Pradesh, but stressed that strong laws alone are not enough without robust monitoring, awareness and coordinated enforcement. The assertion came during a state-level conference on gaps and challenges in the implementation of key child rights legislations held here recently. Child rights violations are not mere statistics, and each case represents a story of a child and a family. Effective action by officials determines not only the lives of children but the future of the country, a statement quoted him as saying in the conference. Shah noted that the Commission had, in the past six months, disposed of around 26,000 cases, rescued over 2,300 children and repatriated more than 1,000 children to their home districts, supported by new technology-driven systems introduced at NCPCR. He said the focus ahead includes mental health support for children, AI tools to combat Child Sexual Abuse Material and new strategies to address ground-level challenges in implementing key child protection laws. Shah emphasised that the responsibility for realising the governments child rights commitments rests on all stakeholders, from officials and school authorities to law-enforcement agencies and civil society. He underlined the need for continuous capacity building and awareness generation, stating that officials must be trained, citizens sensitised through multiple platforms, and frontline workers supported through regular workshops. Arunachal Pradesh SCPCR chairperson Ratan Anya presented a situational analysis of the states child protection systems, flagging multiple gaps in safety, monitoring and reporting. Citing recent incidents in the state, she said they expose critical weaknesses in existing mechanisms despite strong legal frameworks. She also highlighted challenges in investigating POCSO cases, lack of awareness among stakeholders, inadequate systems to combat child trafficking and child labour, poor implementation of anti-tobacco provisions under COTPA and insufficient monitoring of residential schools. Anya recommended more awareness campaigns by NCPCR and requested the Education Department to initiate sustained audits of schools. State Education Commissioner Amzad Tatak urged district officials to take school safety requirements seriously and conduct audits as mandated under the NCPCR manual on safety and security of children in schools. He said a task force headed by the Chief Minister Pema Khandu had been formed to strengthen child rights mechanisms within the school system and described the conference as an important intervention at a critical time.