Itanagar: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has disposed of nearly 26,000 cases and rescued more than 2,300 children across the country in the past six months, a senior official said at a state-level conference held in Itanagar recently.
Paresh Shah, division head for Juvenile Justice, POCSO and special cells at NCPCR, said the numbers reflect the scale of the challenges but stressed that each case represents the life of a child and a family.
The impact of officials’ actions, he said, shapes not only a child’s future but the country’s as well.
Shah said the Commission has also repatriated more than 1,000 children to their home districts, supported by new technology-driven systems introduced by NCPCR.
He added that the Commission is now prioritising mental health support, the use of AI to curb Child Sexual Abuse Material, and new strategies to address on-ground gaps in the implementation of child protection laws.
He cautioned that strong legislation alone is insufficient without vigilant monitoring, widespread awareness and coordinated enforcement.
The responsibility of protecting children, he said, rests with all stakeholders — from government officials and school authorities to law-enforcement agencies and civil society.
Continuous capacity-building, regular training for frontline workers and sensitisation of citizens were highlighted as essential.
Arunachal Pradesh SCPCR chairperson Ratan Anya presented a situational review of child protection mechanisms in the state and flagged gaps in monitoring, reporting and safety systems.
Citing recent incidents, she said they reveal serious weaknesses in implementation despite robust legal frameworks.
She pointed to challenges in probing POCSO cases, low awareness among stakeholders, weak anti-trafficking and anti-child labour systems, poor enforcement of COTPA and inadequate oversight of residential schools.
She urged NCPCR to intensify awareness initiatives and sought sustained school audits by the Education Department.
State Education Commissioner Amzad Tatak asked district officials to comply with safety norms mandated under the NCPCR school safety manual.
He said a task force led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu has been constituted to strengthen child-rights systems in schools and described the conference as a timely intervention.
