BHUBANESWAR: Amidst growing incidents of engaging children and adolescents in the entertainment industry in violation of their education rights and safety norms, the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) on Wednesday released an advisory for the stakeholders in TV, cinema, jatra and theatre mediums.
The producers and organisers will have to strictly adhere to the Child Labour Act, POCSO, Juvenile Justice Act and RTE Act while engaging children in their programmes or shows.
It states that a TV or film producer or jatra party owner will have to obtain permission from the district magistrate after submission of an undertaking that the above-mentioned laws will not be violated while engaging child artistes. The district child protection units will inspect the shooting sets and also provide a list of child artists to the local child welfare committee and labour inspector, said Mandakinee Kar, chairperson of OSCPCR.
Besides, infants under three months may not be allowed to participate in any shows except for programmes promoting breastfeeding or immunisation.
Kar said as many child artistes tend to miss out on education due to their shooting schedules, the OSCPCR has asked producers, jatra party owners to ensure complaince of section 3 of the Child Labour Act and schedule the shooting, auditions or travel in a manner that it does not hamper their education.
While the minor artistes have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, the child rights panel has also asked the stakeholders in the industry to provide the children separate dressing spaces and not put them in common dressing spaces with adults, especially of the opposite gender.