NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is planning to develop new guidelines to regulate the participation of children working in web series and films on OTT platforms.
The guidelines will also cover children working in reality shows, TV programmes and social media.
A meeting is slated for April, in which NCPCR plans to invite all the stakeholders, including officials from various OTT platforms, television channels and social media.
According to NCPCR head Priyank Kanoongo, fresh guidelines are needed as earlier ones are “outdated”.
In 2011, the child rights body had come out with guidelines to regulate children’s participation and their working conditions in television series, reality shows and advertisements.
But now, it is being felt that there is a need to come out with fresh guidelines as there have been amendments and changes in the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, POSCO Act 2012, IT guidelines and child labour rules.
“We need to incorporate in the new guidelines all the changes that have taken place since 2011,” Kanoongo said.
“We are planning a meeting in April.”
As OTT or Over The Top streaming channels found more viewership during the lockdowns, it was felt that there was a need to come out with fresh guidelines that safeguards the rights of the children appearing in these web series, which are still unregulated.
Kanoongo said the need for formulating fresh guidelines was felt after a consensus emerged at a workshop attended by representatives of state child rights bodies in Bhopal.