An Initiative for the Wellbeing and Protection of India's Children
India has comprehensive legislative provisions for the protection and wellbeing of our children. We ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, pledging to protect and provide a safe and ideal environment for the growth and development of our children. Whether we are keeping our commitment or not is debatable.
*Video courtesy UNICEF INDIA
LEGISLATION FOR CHILDREN IN INDIA
Child Rights in India is defined as, “the children’s rights as adopted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child on 20th November 1989 and ratified by the Government of India on 11th December 1992.”
Since ratification India has drafted and passed comprehensive legislative provisions for the protection and wellbeing of our children. The Right to Education is a fundamental right as in Article 21A, following the Right to Life (Article 21) indicating the need to prioritize education. Our legislation takes into consideration a child at every age, from conception to 18 years with their varying needs and abilities. Laws for the protection and wellbeing of children have evolved over the the years. New provisions have been passed and others amended.
Indian Legislation Exclusively For Children
Legislation That Includes Children
No legislation is child neutral. Whether is addresses the concerns and wellbeing of a child or not, all laws impact children either directly or via a trickle down medium of stakeholders like parents and guardians. The above are laws exclusive to children or directly address child rights. Similarly, they also enforce on stakeholders like the government, parents, educational institutions and individuals citizens certain duties to ensure that these rights are realised by children. These laws attempt to encompass the provisions of the UNCRC and are aligned with commitment we have made by ratifying the agreement. They are indivisible, interdependent and inalienable. Having said that, children also enjoy other rights as guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution as long as they do not conflict with the above Child Rights or specified by law otherwise.
CHILD SPECIFIC GOVERNMENT POLICY
In addition to laws, the government may also pass policies . It is important to note that the implementation of Policy is not not binding oN the government or stakeholders till it is incorporated in a law. A policy is the long term vision or plan of action for social change along with the guidelines the government has set for themselves and other stakeholders to achieve it. ​
Laws and policies embody the rights of a child. They are comprehensive statutes that the common man may find difficult to access and decode. In this section we have simplified child rights provisions to help citizens protect and serve our children better. Please click on the links below or in the menu for more information. In case you do not find the information you are looking for in these links, please email us at info@societyforthechild.com. You may also leave a message in our feedback section below.