Child Rights
Although India has a large number of laws to protect and promote the
rights of children, children’s concerns are viewed primarily as a
welfare issue, rather an issue of rights. By developing a legal
rights-based approach for children, the Child Rights Initiative combats
the violation of children’s rights and increases their ability access to
the legal system.
What We Do?
CRI’s, major activity is to do Public Interest Cases in the Supreme
Court of India and various High Courts on the issues affecting children.
CRI provides pro-bono legal services to children in conflict with the
law and children in need of care and protection in the Juvenile Justice
Boards and Child Welfare Committees all over the country. CRI represents
children who are victim of sexual abuse or victim of bonded labour
during the trail proceedings in trial courts, assisting the prosecution in the trial.
CRI is a premier agency in the country for providing trainings to
police, labour department, civil society organizations, judiciary and
government officials on various legislations and policies made for
children.
CRI has been instrumental in providing assistance in formulation of new
laws, rules and policies for children. CRI conducts fact-findings,
campaigns, publishes books and poster, organizes consultations, meetings
and Judicial Colloquiums for increasing awareness about child rights
among duty bearers and right holders.
CRI is part of the Special Taskforce for the rescue and rehabilitation
of child labourers and responds to crisis situations through raid and
rescue operations. We have set up a Crisis Intervention Center in the
Northwest and Central Districts of Delhi, which is also now being
replicated in other States. We also monitor the implementation of
various schemes and policies related to children. CRI functions in close
collaboration with other grassroots organizations in the country.
Issues Of Concern
- Child labour
- Child trafficking.
- Right to education
- Child health and nutrition
- Child marriages
- Juvenile Justice
- Child sexual abuse
- Torture and Abuse of Children
Public Interest Cases done by lawyers associated with CRI have brought
relief to millions of children in this country. Bachpan Bachao Andolan
versus UOI & Ors, though initially brought in Supreme Court for
children working in circus industry is set to mark a tremendous impact
on child rights in this country as Supreme Court has expanded the scope
of this PIL to include each and every aspect of rights of children. In
its latest order, Supreme Court has directed all the States to implement
the provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)
Act 2000 and to constitute Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Welfare
Committees, and Special Juvenile Police Units in every district. Avinash
Mehrotra vs Union of India and Ors was filed when CRI found a lot of
children dying due to school building disasters and fire etc. Schools
were directed to follow bare minimum safety standards in addition to
complying with the National Building Code of India, 2005, with
particular emphasis on the Code of Practice for fire safety in
Educational Institutions, as enumerated in the Bureau of Indian
Standards. In PUCL Vs. Union of India, Court directed State to ensure
the right to food and adequate nutrition for children through the
Integrated Child Development Programme (ICDS), which benefitted
approximately 8,30,90,382 children of the country between 0 to six years
of age. The Supreme Court also directed the State Governments /Union
Territories to implement the Mid Day Meal Scheme, ensuring mid day meals
to approximately 100 million children across the country. The mid-day
meal has been shown to contribute significantly to the lowering of
levels of malnutrition among children. Forum for Fact Finding and
Documentation Vs. Union of India, directions were issued that each state
in India notifies the rules for the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act,
2006. Another Supreme Court case Sampurna Behura Vs. Union of India
significantly changed the scenarios vis a vis implementation of the
Juvenile Justice Act, as a result of which Juvenile Justice Boards and
child Welfare Committees have been constituted in each district of every
state in India. CRI has done a number of public interest cases (See
Reena Banerjee Vs. Govt. of Delhi) in several states for improving the
way child care institutions are being run, significantly improving the
quality of care to children in such institutions.
The CRI has saved hundreds of children by conducting rescue
interventions in over 170 cases of children being exploited as domestic
workers, stopping over 200 child marriages, and facilitating the arrest
and prosecution of child traffickers. The CRI has set up a model for
legal aid for Juveniles in Delhi, which is being replicated now all over
the country gradually. CRI’s lawyers have consistently struggled to
eliminate anti child practices from functioning of police by initiating
legal action in a number of cases where children are illegal detained or
tortured at police stations. On the other hand CRI’s trainings to
police, members of juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees and
government authorities have brought a sea-impact on the quality of
service delivery to children.
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