Port Blair (Sri Vijay Puram): Emphasising that child protection is a shared responsibility requiring vigilance, timely intervention and coordinated action, the State Child Protection Society (SCPS), Directorate of Social Welfare, organised a one-day training programme on August 24 to strengthen the child protection mechanism for missing children, Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL).
The programme focused on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to identify vulnerable children and ensure their care, protection, rehabilitation, restoration and social reintegration through timely and coordinated intervention. The training was attended by 57 participants and was graced by Jayanta Mukherjee, Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), South Andaman, as chief guest, along with Mohit Mishra, Director, Social Welfare, officials and other stakeholders associated with the child protection system.
The sessions underlined the need for effective coordination among key institutions, including the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Juvenile Justice Board, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Child Care Institutions (CCIs), Observation Home, Police Department, NGOs and Legal Services Authorities.
Discussions centred on the respective roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders, besides addressing challenges in child protection and the importance of early identification, case management, timely intervention and follow-up to ensure that vulnerable children do not fall through the gaps in the system.
Inspector Jyoti Chhatwal, In-Charge, CAW Cell, SHO and AHT, South Andaman District, addressed the participants on “Missing Children & CCL: Identification, Case Management, Care, Protection, Rehabilitation and Restoration.” Smti Rubina Khatib Siddiqui, Former Member, NCPCR, spoke on “Child Rights and Child Protection: Role of Stakeholders in Ensuring the Rights of Children.”
The programme also sent out a wider message beyond the institutional framework: child protection begins with an alert community. Members of the public have an important role in identifying signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment or vulnerability and bringing them promptly to the notice of the police, Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit or other competent authorities.
Similarly, any information regarding a missing child should be reported immediately rather than waiting for the situation to resolve on its own. Prompt reporting can be critical in tracing a missing child and preventing further harm or exploitation.
