According to Article 15(3) of the Indian Constitution, special measures must be made for children. In Part IV of the Constitution’s Article 39, the State is urged to focus its policies on ensuring, among other things, that children are not mistreated, are not coerced into undertakings that are not physically or intellectually appropriate for their age or strength, and are given the chance to grow up in a healthy way while enjoying freedom and dignity and being shielded from moral and material abandonment. Additionally, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which was ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1989, grants all of its member countries universal recognition of children’s rights.

Indian legislation for child protection

i. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 is India’s fundamental law for dealing with children who need care and protection, furthering the UNCRC’s goals. By taking actions that are in the best interests of children, it attends to their needs through care, protection, development, therapy, and social reintegration.

Ii. One of the most forward-thinking legislation the Indian government has passed to address sexual abuse against children is the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), which was passed in 2012. The POCSO classifies penetrative sexual assault on a child under the age of 12 as an aggravated form of the crime, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Iii. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 added a number of new sexual offences to the Indian Penal Code, including Section 376(2)(i), IPC, which classifies rape of a female under the age of 16 as an aggravated form of rape punishable by a fine and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison that may be extended to life.

How Sewa Suraksha Foundation is doing its role for child protection
1. SOP for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations was introduced by Sewa Suraksha Foundation in cooperation with the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The SOP outlines the steps that must be performed in order to restore and rehabilitate street children. Aadhaar cards, health insurance, bank accounts, and financial sponsorship for families to assist in meeting a child’s nutritional and medical needs are all included in this. On a pilot basis, an estimated 50,000 street kids in Delhi were chosen to register for Aadhaar cards, and the NGO hopes to reach kids in five states in the first two years.

Child protection programme: interventions

Children Groups are created by Sewa Suraksha Foundation to bring together at-risk children and work together to find solutions to protect children’s rights and stop child labour, child marriage, and other forms of exploitation. Through enrollment efforts, it directs street children, child labourers, and out-of-school youngsters to schools. In order to ensure proper law enforcement and safe child protection, it also coordinates with district and state level authorities.

Conclusion