The Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TNCPCR) has embarked on the task of ascertaining suggestions and views from children in framing the Child Policy Draft for the State thereby ensuring their participatory right.
The State-wide exercise has already kick-started and the Commission has covered five districts till now ascertaining views and suggestions from the children, the TNCPCR member and advocate T. Jayanthi Ranee said here on Monday.
Presiding over a two-day programme on Children participation in framing the Tamil Nadu State Child Policy Draft, Ms. Jayanthi Ranee said the Commission was keen in involving children and their participation in this task as the proposed policy concerned them.
The TNCPCR was the first State-level body in the country to draft an exclusive child policy for the State, she said adding that the Commission had recommended to the State government for the formation of separate court to deal with child-related cases.
Child rights encompassed four aspects – survival, development, protection and participation.
The Commission felt that suggestions from children should also be ascertained in the formulation of the Child Policy draft to ensure their participatory right, Ms. Jayanthi Ranee said.
Around 60 students including those studying in government and Adi Dravida schools participated in the programme organised jointly by the TNCPCR and Childline.
The day-long programme featured talks by resource persons on survival, participatory, protection and development rights of children. A discussion with children would be held on Tuesday.
Childline coordinator A. Albert Manoharan, District Child Protection Officer M. Geetha and S. Thiagarajan, City Coordinator, Childline Nodal Agency, Bishop Heber College spoke.
