ITANAGAR, 11 Jul: The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) has welcomed the state government’s decision to establish special schools for children with special needs (CwSN) across the state.
Describing the announcement as a visionary step, the APSCPCR said that the initiative reflects the government’s strong commitment to building an inclusive and welfare-oriented society where every child, regardless of ability, has access to quality education and opportunities for holistic development.
“This timely decision demonstrates the chief minister’s determination to ensure that children with special needs are no longer left behind.
It is a significant stride in making Arunachal Pradesh a model for inclusive growth and child welfare in the country,” APSCPCR Chairperson Ratan Anya said in a press release.
Earlier, in April this year, an APSCPCR team led by Anya met Chief Minister Pema Khandu and submitted a set of recommendations, highlighting key issues related to child rights in the state. These included inclusive education for CwSNs, prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse among children, tackling sexual offences against minors, and removing educational institutions from the trade licence list.
Responding to these recommendations, the chief minister had assured the commission of the government’s commitment to formulate the best child welfare policies and directed the commissioner to the chief minister to convene a meeting of all stakeholder departments for urgent action, the release said.
Subsequently, a high-level meeting was held on 5 May, and a state-level committee was constituted to monitor the implementation of the commission’s recommendations, it said.
The first meeting of the state-level committee was convened under the chairmanship of Social Justice, Empowerment and Tribal Affairs (SJETA) Secretary Abu Tayeng on 10 July. The meeting, attended by the APSCPCR and the commission’s Member Secretary Yakar Dawe, reviewed the action taken reports from various stakeholder departments, the release informed.
The APSCPR expressed appreciation for the SJETA Department for lowering the disability benchmark from 100 percent to 40 percent, in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and expanding the age criterion from 5 years to include children from 0 years onwards under the Chief Minister’s Disability Pension Scheme.
The commission also commended the SJETA Department for formulating the guidelines for establishment and monitoring of special schools for CwSNs as recommended by the APSCPCR.
Other stakeholder departments were directed to act on the commission’s recommendations in a time-bound manner to facilitate the formulation of a comprehensive child welfare policy for the state by the committee.
The APSCPCR reiterated its appreciation for the state government’s proactive and inclusive measures, calling it a milestone in ensuring the rights, dignity, and future of every child in Arunachal.
The committee has decided to convene the next sitting to discuss the progress and developmental actions taken in response to the recommendations of the APSCPCR.
“Rest of the departments, such as Education, Health, Urban Development and Home, are still awaited,” the release added.
