Exercise started last year remains inconclusive
*Eligibility criteria relaxed with hope for good response
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 20: Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has initiated fresh steps to appoint Chairperson and Members of Commission for Protection of Child Rights by relaxing eligibility criteria as exercise started last year remained inconclusive because of poor response to the advertisement notice.
Click Here To Join Daily Excelsior on WhatsApp And Get Latest News
In exercise of powers conferred by Section 36 of the Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 (Central Act 4 of 2006), the Lieutenant Governor vide notification dated October 21, 2022 made J&K Commission for Protection of Child Rights Rules, 2022.
Though in these Rules the procedure for appointment of Chairperson and Members of the Commission was clearly defined yet exercise in this regard was initiated by the Social Welfare Department only on June 15, 2023, nearly one year after the framing of Rules, by inviting applications for one post of Chairperson and six posts of Members.
However, exercise remained inconclusive because of poor response to the advertisement notice mainly due to ‘stringent’ eligibility criteria whereby the candidates were supposed to be holding Graduation Degree with the subjects like Education, Child Health Care/Welfare or Child Development, Juvenile Justice or care of neglected or marginalized children or children with disabilities, Child Psychology or Sociology and Laws relating to children with minimum experience of 10 years in the areas specified in the qualification section, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Because of delay in appointment of Chairperson and Members of J&K Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while dealing with Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the subject, passed strictures against the Social Welfare Department and from time to time even sought status report on the progress achieved in establishment of Commission.
Now, the Social Welfare Department has initiated fresh steps for establishment of Commission by inviting applications after relaxation in eligibility criteria with the hope to get good response this time, sources informed.
As per the new eligibility criteria, candidates should possess Graduation Degree in one of the disciplines like Management, Law, Psychology, Sociology/Social Work and Education with minimum experience of 10 years in the areas. Out of six Members being appointed, two of them shall be women.
“On receipt of applications for the posts of Chairperson and six Members, the Government will constitute three members Selection Committee for making recommendations to the Government for approval”, sources further informed.
The Commission, once constituted, will analyze existing law, policy and practice to assess compliance with Convention on the Rights of Child, undertake inquiries and produce reports on any aspect of policy and practice affecting children and comment on proposed new legislation with a child rights perspective.
Moreover, the Commission will study Union Territory policies that impact children and ensure that they comply with international child rights standards; undertake formal investigations where concern has been expressed either by children themselves or by concerned person on their behalf; promote, respect and give serious considerations to the views of the children in its work and in that of all Government departments and organizations dealing with child.
Further, the Commission will promote the incorporation of child rights into the school curriculum, teachers training and training of personnel dealing with children; call for Action Taken Reports on the recommendations made to various departments and authorities and review the plans and programmes of the Local Self Government and relevant Government departments from the child rights perspective and make appropriate recommendations.
There will be two zones in the Union Territory for facilitating the functioning of the Commission—Jammu Zone and Kashmir Zone and one Member as authorized by the Commission shall be incharge of a zone and the Chairperson may, taking into consideration the administrative and functional convenience re-allocate a particular district or districts already placed under one Member to another.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
