LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Rekha Gupta launch citywide push to institutionalise child safety with POCSO awareness, joint inspections and counsellor expansion
By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi will establish Child Protection Committees in all 5,633 schools across the Capital by the end of July, as part of an ambitious initiative to strengthen child safety beyond a month-long campaign.
The decision was taken during a high-level review meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at Raj Niwas to assess the implementation of Child Protection Month activities being carried out across the city.
Officials reviewed measures undertaken by the Education Department, Delhi Police and the Department of Women and Child Development, with directions issued to complete all child protection initiatives within prescribed timelines and institutionalise them as permanent safeguards.
The Education Department informed the meeting that a comprehensive student safety checklist, aligned with guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the POCSO Act, is being implemented across all government, aided, municipal and private schools in Delhi. Teachers and school staff are being trained under POCSO provisions, while students are receiving awareness sessions on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation, personal boundaries and self-defence.
Delhi Police said specialised child safety initiatives are underway for schoolchildren, missing children, children living in vulnerable communities and those in Child Care Institutions. Each police district has designated a nodal officer to strengthen monitoring and response to child protection cases.
The Department of Women and Child Development also unveiled a citywide POCSO awareness campaign covering Anganwadi-cum-Palna Centres, linked facilities and Child Care Institutions through mobile awareness vans, educational videos and community outreach programmes targeting children, parents and caregivers.
During the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor stressed that there could be “no room for complacency” in ensuring a safe and sensitive environment for every child, while the Chief Minister said the government was committed to building a robust and permanent child protection framework that guarantees every child in the national capital a safe, secure and dignified environment.
The review also directed the formation of joint inspection teams comprising parents, education officials, women and child development representatives, Delhi Police and school heads to monitor compliance. Schools have been asked to implement standard operating procedures for handling POCSO cases, complete trainer capacity-building during July, expand counsellor availability across all schools and intensify awareness campaigns through Parent-Teacher Meetings and public outreach.
