CHENNAI: More than three years after the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) became non-functional due to legal disputes, the state government on Wednesday issued a notification inviting applications for the appointment of a chairperson and six members for the commission. The move follows the disposal of a legal case that had stalled the commission’s functioning since 2022.
The appointments were delayed after a former member challenged the government’s decision to dissolve the commission in January 2022, before the completion of its three-year term. The petitioner argued that the body could not be dissolved prematurely without valid reasons. However, with the commission’s term officially ending in January, the case came to an end.
Established under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, SCPCR is tasked with monitoring child rights laws, reviewing government policies, and recommending measures for their effective implementation. The commission is responsible for overseeing four key laws concerning children - Pocso Act, RTE Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
The absence of the statutory body for three years had left a gap in addressing serious child rights violations like rise in cases of sexual violence being reported in schools, increasing instances of child marriage, and caste-based violence against two students in Nanguneri.
In 2021, then SCPCR member V Kamaraj was tasked with drafting new rules. His draft proposal recommended key changes, including a provision to bar individuals with political affiliations from being appointed to the commission. He also suggested that the commission’s secretary should not hold other posts.
Currently, the director of the Department of Child Welfare and Special Services holds the post of secretary, leading to a conflict of interest, as the department handles child-related issues and also maintains observational homes. However, Kamaraj’s draft rules were never forwarded to the government, leading him to resign in protest.