The Women and Child Development Ministry has revised the National Policy for Children for the first time since it was adopted in 1974. It has now put the draft policy, which defines any individual below the age of 18 years as child in public domain . It has invited views before it is finalised.

The ministry officials said that the policy would guide and inform all laws, policies, plans and programmes affecting children and all other actions of national, state and local Governments in relation to population below 18 years.

Amongst the key priorities listed in the draft are making survival, health, nutrition, development, education, protection and participation undeniable rights of every child.

As per the policy draft, every child has a right to be safeguarded against hunger, deprivation and malnutrition and the State would commit to securing this right through access, provision and promotion of required services and supports for holistic nurturing.


The State shall also take all necessary measures to improve maternal health care ,secure the right of the girl child and address discrimination of all forms in schools and foster equal opportunity.

Women and Child Development Minister, Krishna Tirath has expressed hope that the proposed, Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Work Place Bill - 2010 will get the approval from both the Houses of Parliament during the ensuing(फलस्वरूप घटित होने वाला) Monsoon Session. 

Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of her ministry in Indore, Ms. Tirath said that the proposed Bill is an important step forward in helping women to secure their fundamental right to practice any profession in an equitable, safe and secure environment. She said that the proposed legislation has been prepared after extensive consultations with various stakeholders including lawyers and civil society organizations. 

The minister said when the legislation enacted, it will have a far reaching positive impact on women’s participation in work, resulting in their economic empowerment and inclusive growth for the country.


Certain truth all these laws even fully implemented will only protect women working in organised sector that just 5%

Haryana Government has constituted state and district level committees to inspect children shelter homes run by NGO`s. The step has been taken after the Apna Ghar controversy, which is being invstigated by CBI now. A government spokesman said that the committees also suggest possible improvements.

The committee members would interact with inmates of shelter homes in the absence of NGO members and collect their feedback on the facilities and treatment being given to them. The Director General of Department of Women and Child development Sumita Misra will head the state level committee while the deputy commissioners will head the district level committees.

Maharashtra government has decided to install cradles(पलना) outside the government-run hospitals across the state in order to save the lives of kids abondoned by their parents. Women and Child Development Minister Varsha Gaikwad said, some parents abondon their new-born kids at the road-side and it has been decided to install cradles outside government-run hospitals, which will facilitate primary treatment to them. 
The minister said, if somebody keeps their kid in the cradle the Child Welfare Committee will take care of that child and its life can be saved.

The government is implementing National Child Labour Project ,NCLP, in 266 districts across the country for rehabilitation of children rescued and withdrawn from work. A ministry of Labour and Employment release says, under the project, the rescued and withdrawn children are enrolled in the special schools, where they are provided with bridge education and vocational training before mainstreaming them into formal education system.

AIR correspondent reports that at present more than seven thousand special schools are running with more than three lakh children enrolled under the NCLP Scheme. For orphan children, Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Integrated Child Protection Scheme. 

Under the scheme financial assistance is being provided to state government and union territories for setting up and maintaining of Homes for children, including orphans living in difficult conditions.

nion Ministry of Women & Child Development has developed the National Website 'Missing Children Tracking System' (MCTS) for tracing missing children. The Website will not only have data on missing children but it will also have live database to monitor the progress of the children in the child care institutions.


A government spokesman told at Chandigarh that Govt. of India has decided to implement the project initially on a pilot basis in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The team of Union Ministry of Women & Child Development will organize a training programme on 20th June, 2012 to impart necessary training to the functionaries of Police Personnel, Child Help Line, SARA, Incharges of various Homes, Members of Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee at Chandigarh.


He said that National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been developing Software Recruitment Specifications for creating a uniform MCTS System, which will be replicated in those states where there is no system for tracing missing children and it will also undertake a gap analysis of various existing systems to develop bridging software to link it up with the National Portal.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is working out a detailed guideline and institutional mechanism preferably within the Comptroller and Auditor General, CAG, for gender budgeting. 

This was stated by Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development Ms Neela Gangadharan while addressing the participants of the two-day conference on gender budgeting in New Delhi today. 

She said, her ministry is in the process of promoting gender audit of all policies, programmes and schemes. This will throw light on the gaps in conceptualization, implementation and targeting of beneficiaries. 

Ms Gangadharan added that it was very important that the planning and budgeting mechanisms are improved and made more outcome-oriented to target and benefit more women. She, however, expressed concern about the availability of sex disaggregated data, which remains a major challenge. 

AIR correspondent reports an important tool for gender budgeting is gender budget statement which comprises of two parts. The first part reflects programmes and schemes which have hundred per cent allocation for women. The second part reflects those schemes where at least thirty per cent of the allocation is for women.

The central scheme to provide cash incentive to pregnant and lactating women will be extended all over the country after assessing results of the pilot project in 52 districts. This was stated by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath in the Rajya Sabha today during Question Hour.

She said under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana , implemented since 2010 on a pilot basis, the Centre provides each pregnant and lactating woman a cash incentive of 4 thousand rupees in three installments.

She said so far 1 lakh 88 thousand beneficiaries have been covered under the scheme and out of 411 crore 78 lakh rupees released during 2010-11 and 2011-12, the state governments have reported fund utilisation of 71 crore 53 lakh rupees.

The government will soon amend the Juvenile Justice Act to improve the quality of care at Children's Homes and prevent abuse of inmates. A statement from the Women and Child Development, WCD Ministry said, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 will be amended to make non-registration of Children's Homes, a punishable offence. Under this Act, All the Children's Homes would be subject to stringent scrutiny and monitoring. The statement was issued after WCD Minister Krishna Tirath held a meeting with officials from Ministries of Home Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Labour and Employment and Human Resource Development, to discuss the measures to prevent child abuse. Mrs Tirath expressed her concern over
various incidents of abuse and exploitation of children that have been reported by the Media in the recent past. She emphasised the need for stepping up coordination among Departments, Ministries, state governments and the civil society in order to avoid occurrence of such incidents.
The Minister also informed officials that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill which has been passed by the Cabinet, will be re-introduced shortly in the Rajya Sabha. Mrs. Tirath also informed that Childline Service, a 24-hour telephone helpline service for children in distress, has been expanded to more than 200 locations now.
Officials from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), National Commission for Women (NCW) and voluntary organisations were also present in the meeting.