ITANAGAR, 22 Aug: Governor KT Parnaik said that the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) must function as a vigilant watchdog for child rights and a catalyst for creating a child-friendly Arunachal Pradesh where every child can grow with dignity, security, confidence, and hope.
"Every child deserves a safe childhood, quality education, good health, protection from exploitation, and equal opportunities to realise his/her potential," the governor said when APSCPCR Chairperson Ratan Anya, along with members of the commission, called on him at the Lok Bhavan here on Saturday to brief him on the outcomes of the recently held North East SCPCRs Convention on Child Rights in Tawang.
The convention brought together child rights institutions from across the Northeastern states to deliberate on emerging challenges, best practices, and collaborative strategies for safeguarding the rights and welfare of children, Anya said.
Appreciating the initiative, the governor said that the wellbeing of children must remain a collective responsibility of the society and the government.
Highlighting the need for a proactive approach, Parnaik advised the commission to shift from a complaint-based mechanism to a preventive child protection framework.
"While responding to grievances is important, greater emphasis should be placed on early identification and prevention of child rights violations," he said, and urged the commission to focus on issues such as child abuse, trafficking, child labour, substance abuse, school dropouts, child marriage, and cyber exploitation.
He also suggested strengthening district-level monitoring and fostering close coordination with schools, anganwadi centres, law enforcement agencies, health departments, and community organisations to identify vulnerable children before they fall into distress.
Expressing grave concern over growing POCSO cases and extremely low rate of prosecution, he advocated effective prosecution of offences under the Act. The governor also stressed the need for stronger monitoring of child care institutions and implementation of child protection laws. He advised that regular inspections of observation homes, shelter homes, hostels, and other child care facilities be institutionalised.
The governor further emphasised strict monitoring of the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, the POCSO Act, and the Right to Education Act to ensure that every child remains safe, educated, and protected. Periodic reviews and independent assessments would strengthen accountability and help address systemic gaps, he noted.
Expressing concern over increasing social and digital challenges confronting children, Parnaik emphasised the importance of building a broad-based child rights awareness movement across the state.
Stating that an informed and vigilant society is the strongest safeguard for children, he encouraged the commission to launch a statewide child rights literacy campaign involving educational institutions, panchayati raj bodies, religious leaders, youth organisations, civil society groups, and the media. He said that awareness programmes on child protection laws, online safety, mental health, counselling services, and reporting mechanisms should reach every village and urban locality.
Anya assured the governor that the commission would actively work towards implementing his suggestions to create a safer, more inclusive, and child-friendly environment in Arunachal Pradesh.
The APSCPCR chairperson was accompanied by its members Niri Chongrowju, Honluk Lukham and Ngurang Achung, and Member Secretary Yakar Dawe. (Lok Bbavan)
