RONO HILLS, 3 Nov: Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha said that the rights of children remain a major challenge in the country despite the existence of various laws to protect their rights.
The VC said that every individual must take the initiative to extend due rights and privileges to children.
“There is need for social reform to protect a child’s rights and every individual should share this responsibility. We have to train ourselves towards contributing to the betterment of the society and good talks should not be confined to seminars only,” Prof Kushwaha said during a webinar on children’s rights on Wednesday.
The webinar, themed ‘Child rights in India: Status and significance’ was conducted by the university’s political science department.
RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam spoke on the importance of recognizing children’s rights. Prof PK Panigrahi explained the concept of children’s rights, while New Delhi-based JNU Deputy Director Dr Sunita Reddy delivered a lecture on child abuse.
Dr Reddy said that majority of child abuse cases go unreported due to negligence of the parents.
Speaking on juvenile justice, Supreme Court advocate Ananth Kumar Asthana said that “Arunachal has lots of challenges with regard to ensuring children’s rights as there is lack of awareness among the people.”
“The existing customary practices among the tribes in the Northeast and Arunachal Pradesh in particular are also a major challenge in implementation of the children’s rights laws as there is inconsistency in tribal practices,” Asthana opined.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights member Rosy Taba said that child labour in Arunachal is found mainly in the form of domestic help. She cited poverty as one of the main reasons behind the existence of child labour.
RGU Political Science HoD Prof Nabam Nakha Hina, and programme coordinator Dr Punyo Yarang also spoke.
