The National Action Plan for Child Rights (NAPCR) was enacted in 2016 by the Indian government to protect and promote the rights of children across the country.
Under this plan, various strategies were developed and implemented to ensure that children living in India receive better care, education, and protection.
Key Objectives of NAPCR
The National Action Plan for Child Rights aimed to achieve three main objectives:.
- To ensure the survival, development, and protection of children in India
- To ensure that children in India have access to education, healthcare, and nutrition
- To protect children from exploitation, abuse, and violence
Implementation Strategies
Strengthening Child Protection Mechanisms
One of the key strategies implemented under NAPCR was to strengthen existing child protection mechanisms such as the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).
The ICPS is a government-run programme that aims to provide a safety net for children who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The programme provides support for children who are at risk and also helps to rehabilitate children who have experienced abuse or exploitation.
Improving Access to Education
NAPCR also focused on improving access to education for children across the country.
This was done by expanding the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme, which is a government-run education programme aimed at providing free and compulsory education for all children between the ages of 6 to 14 years. The programme focused on improving the quality of education, increasing enrolment, and reducing dropouts.
Strengthening Child Healthcare
To ensure that children in India have access to proper healthcare, NAPCR implemented various strategies such as providing free healthcare services to children under the age of 5 years and improving the quality of healthcare facilities in rural areas.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was also implemented, which aimed to provide better healthcare facilities in rural areas.
Preventing Child Labor
Child labor is a major problem in India, and NAPCR aimed to prevent and eliminate child labor across the country.
This was done by implementing the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, which seeks to protect children from exploitation and abuse in the workplace. The act prohibits the employment of children under the age of 14 years in hazardous industries and ensures that children between the ages of 14 to 18 years are not employed in hazardous jobs.
Protection from Violence and Abuse
NAPCR also aimed to protect children from violence, abuse, and neglect. This was done by implementing the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, which is a special law designed to protect children from sexual offenses.
The act provides for strict punishment for offenders and also provides for the rehabilitation of victims of sexual offenses.
Promoting Child Participation
Finally, NAPCR aimed to promote the participation of children in decision-making processes. This was done by establishing child-friendly spaces in government institutions, schools, and other public places.
The spaces provided children with a platform to express their views and opinions on issues that affect them.
Conclusion
The National Action Plan for Child Rights was a major step towards protecting and promoting the rights of children in India.
The implementation of various strategies under this plan has led to an improvement in the quality of life of children across the country. However, more needs to be done to ensure that every child in India has access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, and protection from exploitation and abuse.