The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to fill up vacancies in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) within 90 days saying it was a “critical institution, where child rights were involved”.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar also directed the Ministry of Women and Child Development to examine the aspect of filling the post of the NCPCR chairperson, who is likely to demit his office in September this year after completing his tenure.
The Bench noted that seven years have passed since one of the members vacated his position and observed that the NCPCR was a statutory body that dealt with highly important aspects related to the children.
As per the statutory mandate under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act 2005, the panel should have six members and a chairperson.
At present, the child rights panel has three members. “The statute is clear enough to fill the vacancies within 90 days,” it said and disposed of a petition by advocate Radhakanta Tripathy aimed at ensuring better administration in the panel for safeguarding the interests of children.
Under the mandate, fresh appointments must be made within 90 days from the time of the occurrence of the vacancy, the petition said.
Increases pendency
It said that non-appointment of commission members frustrated the mechanism for dispensing justice and increases the pendency of cases pertaining to child rights.
The NCPCR, established in 2007, is responsible for implementation of child rights such as right to food, protection of children from sexual offences and free and compulsory education, among others.
