The Government of India – Ministry of
Women and Child announced the new revised guidelines for the
Integrated
Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). This announcement strengthens India’s
Commitment on Child Rights
‘Child Protection’ is about protecting
children from or against any perceived or real danger or risk to their
life, their personhood and childhood. It is about reducing their
vulnerability to any kind of harm and protecting them in harmful
situations. It is about ensuring that no child falls out of the social
security and safety net and, those who do, receive necessary care,
protection and support so as to bring them back into the safety net.
While protection is a right of every child, some children are more
vulnerable than others and need special attention. The Government
recognizes these children as ‘children in difficult circumstances’,
characterized by their specific social, economic and geo-political
situations. In addition to providing a safe environment for these
children, it is imperative to ensure that all other children also remain
protected. This is because Child protection is integrally linked to
every other right of the child.
Failure to ensure children’s right to
protection adversely affects all other rights of the child. Thus, the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved unless child
protection is an integral part of programs, strategies and plans for
their achievement. Failure to protect children from issues such as
violence in schools, child labour, harmful traditional practices, child
marriage, child abuse, the absence of parental care and commercial
sexual exploitation among others, means failure in fulfilling both the
Constitutional and International commitments towards children
.
The National Charter for Children, 2003
adopted on 9th February 2004, underlined the intent to secure for every
child its inherent right to be a child and enjoy a healthy and happy
childhood, to address the root causes that negate the healthy growth and
development of children, and to awaken the conscience of the community
in the wider societal context to protect children from all forms of
abuse, while strengthening the family, society and the Nation.
To
affirm the Government’s commitment to the rights based approach in
addressing the continuing and emerging challenges in the situation of
children, the Government of India drafted the National Policy for
Children, 2013, and reiterates its commitment to safeguard, inform,
include, support and empower all children within its territory and
jurisdiction, both in their individual situation and as a national
asset. The State is committed to take affirmative measures –
legislative, policy or otherwise – to promote and safeguard the right of
all children to live and grow with equity, dignity, security and
freedom, especially those marginalised or disadvantaged; to ensure that
all children have equal opportunities; and that no custom, tradition,
cultural or religious practice is allowed to violate or restrict or
prevent children from enjoying their rights.
The Ministry of Women and Child
Development, (MWCD) extends its commitment of the XI plan for creating a
solid foundation for a protective environment for 40 per cent of
India’s vulnerable children who are experiencing difficult
circumstances, by continuing the centrally sponsored Scheme – the
Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) in XII plan. The Scheme, since
its launch in 2009, in partnership with the State Governments/UT
Administrations, has strengthened prevention of child rights violation;
enhanced infrastructure for protection services; provided financial
support for implementation of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection
of children) Act, 2000; increased access to a wider range and better
quality of services; increased investment in child protection and is
continuously drawing focus on the right of children to be safe.
The Integrated Child Protection Scheme
(ICPS) has significantly contributed to the realization of
Government/State responsibility for creating a system that will
efficiently and effectively protect children. Based on cardinal
principles of “protection of child rights” and “best interest of the
child”, ICPS is achieving its objectives to contribute to the
improvements in the well being of children in difficult circumstances,
as well as to the reduction of vulnerabilities to situations and actions
that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation
of children from their families.