Delhi Govt Reforms Child Rights Body, Appoints New Chairperson and Four Members

The Delhi government has reconstituted the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) after nearly three years, appointing Om Prakash Vyas as Chairperson and four new members.

In a major move to promote child welfare, the Delhi government has re-established the Delhi body for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) after almost three years of the body not being fully functional. The appointments were made by the Department of Women and Child Development at the order of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

The Commission has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Om Prakash Vyas. Rahul Gautam, Kundan Kanskar, Swati Gupta and Monika Sharma have been appointed as members along with him. The nominations have been made under the terms of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights Rules, 2008.

As per the announcement, all appointments shall be effective from the day on which respective appointees commence office. The Chairperson and members must be appointed for a period of three years, subject to the statutory age limits of 65 and 60 years, respectively.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated, “Every child has a right to a safe, dignified childhood and equal opportunity to grow and thrive. She said that the protection of children’s rights remained the government's top priority and expressed the hope that the newly constituted commission would work with sensitivity, openness and accountability to protect the interests of children.

This reconstruction has occurred at a time when Delhi government has stepped up its attention on child welfare. Authorities have recently asked all 5,633 schools in the city to form Child Protection Committees by the end of July in a move to beef up safety systems for pupils. The reconstituted commission is anticipated to play a vital role in monitoring child rights, handling complaints, advising the government on policy issues, and ensuring the implementation of legislation concerning children’s welfare.