• Public Hearing on the Violation of Right to Education Act 2009

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 has been enforced throughout India since 1st April, 2010. Three years of time has been given to implement all the provisions of the Act to ensure children’s rights for education. In spite of the enactment it has been seen that several children are still out of school and many are never enrolled to any school. Evidences are also found regarding taking screening tests and fees in government schools while admitting children. Selected such cases were placed to the juries of NCPCR while Public Hearing on 20th October, 2011, held at Town Hall, Kolkata. The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is entrusted with the mandate of protecting, promoting and defending child rights in the country. It functions as a statutory body under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. Section 13 (1) (j) of the Act enables it to inquire into complaints and take suo motto notice of deprivation and violation of child rights as well as non compliance and non implementation of policies and legislations for the welfare of children. Further, Section 14 of the Act grants powers of a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure 1908 (5 of 1908). For NCPCR, public hearings form a potent instrument for addressing violations of child rights. These hearings provided an important opportunity for raising awareness in critical issues and violations, exploring relevant evidence placed by petitioners and respondents and providing directions for subsequent action. Community Action Society has been instrumental as a member of Civil Society Network in partering the NCPCR in conducting Public Hearings on the Violation of RTE Act 2009 and Child Traffcking on 20th and 21st Octobar 2011, at the Prestigious Town Hall, Kolkata, in which a wide range of stakeholders took part.

[masterslider id=”11″]

• Public Hearing on Child Trafficking

Human trafficking now constitutes the third largest global criminal activity and is believed to be a $7-10 billion industry. Significantly, a national study highlighted the district of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal as one of the highest trafficking prone zones in the country. More recently, a study titled ‘Missing Children of West Bengal’ released by Save the Children (an International Non Government Organisation, ) helped to refocus attention on the district. Children were being lured with promises of jobs and marriages and ended up in harrowing conditions of sexual exploitation and other forms of abuses within the state and beyond simultaneously. In the Public Hearing on Child Trafficking in South 24 Parganas was held at Town Hall, Kolkata (West Bengal) on Oct 21, 2011, at the Town Hall, Kolkata.