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Business Standard
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Delhi HC notes GNCTD's decision to re-advertise DCPCR posts, sets timeline
The Delhi High Court has taken on record the Delhi Government's decision to re-advertise the vacant posts of Chairperson and Members of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR). The move comes amid prolonged delays in the functioning of the Commission, which is tasked with monitoring and safeguarding child rights in the national capital. During the hearing on July 23, the Delhi Government submitted an affidavit stating that a fresh advertisement was issued on July 18, 2025, inviting applications for the posts. A copy of the advertisement was placed before the court and accepted. According to the government's submission, the last date for receiving applications is July 31, 2025. It was further submitted that the process of appointing the Chairperson and Members would be completed within three months of the deadline, allowing the Commission to become operational by the end of October. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted the assurance and expressed hope that the timeline would be strictly followed. "We hope and trust that the time limit as stated shall be strictly followed and adhered to," the court observed in its order. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on November 11, 2025. The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by the National Child Development Council, alongside a suo motu matter, all of which raised concerns over the prolonged non-functionality of the Commission. The DCPCR, established under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, plays a crucial role in ensuring child welfare and upholding children's rights. Concerns over its non-functionality due to pending appointments had prompted judicial scrutiny and repeated calls from stakeholders for urgent action.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Appoint chairperson of DCPCR in 3 mths'
New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave three months more to govt to make the now defunct Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) fully functional. During the hearing, the counsel for Delhi govt informed the bench that chief minister, who also holds the women and child development portfolio, decided that there is a need to have a broader pool of candidates to select from, as until now there was a limited pool of around 927 candidates who were earlier shortlisted. It added that the decision has been taken to re-issue the advertisements, and vacancies will be filled in three months time. Taking note of the submission, the court said it "hoped" govt will stick to the deadline and listed the matter for Nov to take stock of progress. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The court had earlier pulled up govt for its "callousness" in filling vacancies in the panel and directed the selection process for such posts to be completed in a time-bound manner. It pointed out that the commission is non-functional since July 2023, as children's rights took a backseat. The bench had also expressed concern about the menace of substance abuse among children and directed the authorities to complete the selection of membersfor District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) within eight weeks. "There is no gainsaying that DCPCR performs certain important statutory functions to ensure the protection of child rights. However, on account of vacancies, such functions are not being performed, as a result of which it is the rights of the children which take a back seat." HC stated.
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Amidst heat waves, the plight of Delhi's street children demands greater attention
Written by Pintu Paul This summer, my daily commute in Delhi offered me a stark and troubling glimpse into the lives of street children. As I struggled with even a 30-minute bike ride in the scorching heat, I frequently saw young children selling small items like flowers, balloons, pens or other stuff near Hauz Khas in South Delhi. These children, often barefoot, approach stopped cars to sell their wares or offer to clean windshields — all in an effort to survive. This sight has always triggered a torrent of questions: Why are they forced to live on the streets in this unbearable heat? Where are they from? How do they access basic necessities like food, water, and sanitation? In Delhi, where temperatures regularly exceed 40°C during summer, these questions need deeper introspection. In the last few days, Delhi has been experiencing a severe heat wave, with unbearably high temperatures reaching 45°C, making these children more vulnerable. A 2011 study by Save the Children estimated that there are around 51,000 street children in Delhi. In 2021, Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation estimated the number to be 60,431. In the same year, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) reported that around 70,000 children live on the streets in Delhi. The DCPCR also identified 53 begging hotspots in Delhi. These children mostly belong to the Dalit and Adivasi communities. They are primarily involved in begging, rag-picking, street vending, and working in roadside stalls, repair shops, or dhabas/hotels. UNICEF identified three common conditions of street children based on their living: (a) Children who run away from their families and live alone on the street, (b) children who live on the street with their families, and (c) children who spent most of their time on the street, fending for themselves, but return home regularly. These street children often migrate from neighbouring states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. This migration is driven by a multitude of push factors, including pervasive poverty, marginalisation, dysfunctional families, violence, and a severe lack of economic opportunities. Their living conditions are acutely precarious. They typically sleep on pavements, under flyovers and bridges, in parks, markets, religious places, bus stands, railway stations, and dump yards. One striking and ironic fact is that many flyovers are often barricaded with concrete walls or iron cages, preventing these children from even finding rudimentary shelter underneath. The unfortunate reality for most is a complete lack of access to education. Although most of them are of school-going age, their days are consumed by the immediate need for survival, leaving no time or opportunity for schooling, thereby trapping them in a cruel cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Save the Children found that over 50 per cent of children are not literate, 23 per cent received some form of informal education, and 20 per cent had some formal education. They face severe food shortages, leading to widespread malnutrition, and struggle to obtain proper sanitation facilities, hygiene, and safe drinking water, which results in frequent health issues. Tragically, they sometimes have to pay for access to a toilet and drinking water from their meagre, hard-earned money. They also lack access to healthcare facilities. Beyond these fundamental deprivations, they are tragically susceptible to physical and sexual abuse, often at the hands of older street dwellers, exploitative adults, or even those in positions of authority who should be protecting them. They are also vulnerable to human trafficking, where they are coerced or tricked into forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, or other forms of modern slavery. Notably, girl children are more vulnerable to such abuses and exploitation. Against this backdrop, many, seeking an escape from their harsh realities, also fall prey to drug addiction. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) estimated that around 50 per cent of street children are addicted to substance abuse. Their undeniably precarious condition becomes worse with the intense heat, dust, and pollution. In the extreme heat of summer, they are exposed to the risk of dehydration, exhaustion, heatstroke, respiratory disease, kidney disease and other health hazards. In 2022, the Delhi government launched projects to rehabilitate and reintegrate street children with the help of two NGOs — Salaam Baalak Trust and Youth Reach. Youth Reach reported that as of January 2024, only 3,695 children had been identified for whom the rehabilitation process had been initiated. Other NGOs like Save the Children and Jamghat have also been working with street children in Delhi. However, additional efforts are needed to reach more street children and rehabilitate them. Since there is no recent survey on street children, their actual number is still unclear. Further, the Covid-19 pandemic may have pushed many children to live on the streets due to job loss and poverty. Therefore, a survey on street children should be urgently conducted to identify and rehabilitate them, besides ensuring access to the government's social safety and welfare schemes. Street children mostly don't have proof of identity. They are not covered by the government's social safety nets. The government should provide them with basic necessities like food, shelter, clothes, sanitation, safe drinking water, and healthcare. Children should be enrolled in schools, reinforcing their right to education. Further, generating more employment opportunities is essential to sustain the livelihoods of poor families in highly out-migration regions. The writer is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi
