Background

While 39 percent of India’s population is children aged 0-18 years, in Rajasthan, they constitute 43.6 percent of the total state population. Respecting the Constitution of India and the international obligations under treaties such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified by India in 1992, the Centre and the state governments have been striving for protection of all rights for all children.

In recognizing the role of the Government as a custodian of child rights, Government of Rajasthan has taken several measures to ensure compliance with these national and international commitments and overcome the challenges in their implementation. Setting up regulatory and oversight mechanisms and establishing necessary linkages to address the gaps between commitment and implementation has been a serious concern. As a result, over the years, the state has invested greatly in strengthening the institutional base and policy and programmatic interventions to secure basic rights of its children.

A separate State Child Policy was formulated in 2008 with a view to ensure comprehensive development of children, protection of their rights and mainstreaming children’s rights into all development agenda through convergence with various state departments. In 2013, a State Policy for the Girl Child came into existence to address their vulnerabilities and a State level Task Force on Care and Protection of the Girl Child was set up to augment state action. The Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights was established on 23 February 2010 as an independent statutory mechanism for reviewing and monitoring the implementation of laws and policies relating to children. Action plans, guidelines and protocols have been issued from time to time to implement child-specific legislation such as the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.

The establishment of its own policies, plans of action, guidelines, protocols and institutions necessitated the need for an overarching administrative unit that would strengthen and streamline governance for children. The Department for Child Rights was thus established and Child Protection programmes like ICPS, Planahar, Hunar Vikash were transferred from the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to set up as a distinct and full-fledged Department for Child Rights responsible for the promotion and protection of children’s rights in Rajasthan vide notification dated 17 May, 2013.

Rajasthan is the first state to have separate & independent department to address child rights issues. The aim of department is to protect rights of children and to implement Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, 2012 and schemes like Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) and CM Hunar Vikas Yojana and other related schemes as mentioned below :-

• Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015
• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO)
• Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)
• Palanhar Yojana (Govt. support for financial aid for vulnerable children)
• Mukhya Mantri Hunar Vikas Yojana (Training for skill development , further studies to vulnerable children)
• Pahal Yojana (To promote reporting on cases of violence against children)
• Foster Care Rules, 2014
• Sponsorship Guidelines, 2015
• Protsahan Yojana and Adopt a Home.

• Rajasthan State Child Protection Society and District Child Protection Units, are functional at state level and districts level respectively.
• 33 Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and 34 Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) are functioning in the districts to decide the cases of CICL and CNCP children.
• 23 Child Line (1098) services are functional in the state.
• Social Audit Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary.

• Adoption– 597 orphan, abandoned and surrendered children has been placed in adoption in last 3 years as per the guidelines issued by CARA.
• Foster Care Rules - We are the second state in country in notifying foster care rules for its implementation. Till now 22vulnerable children are placed in un-related foster family.
• Mukhyamantri Hunar Vikas Yojana - To promote skill development of children who are residing in CCIs and beneficiaries of Palanhar Yojana, CM Hunar Vikas Yojana is being implemented in state. 434 children has been benefited in last 3 years.
• Sponsorship - Guidelines has been issued to all District Child Protection Units to promote de-institulization of children who are residing in Child Care Institutions from last six month.
• Palanhar Scheme (Family based kinship care):- The objective of palanhar scheme is to reduce the vulnerabilities of children through foster parenting.

- Support is provided to orphan children, children of widows, separated, abandoned mothers and parents suffering from HIV/AIDS, Leprosy, or some form of disability and also children of those parents who have been sentenced life imprisonment or capital punishment.

Benefits- 500/- month for age group of 0-5 years & 1,000/month for age group of 6-18 years ( Note- 2000 for other necessary expenditures once on a year)

** Attending anganwadi centre or school is compulsory**

Progress-2,20,000 vulnerable children were benefited by incurring Rs. 190.00 Cr. in this financial year.

• 40 Govt. run Observation and Children homes are functioning in all districts to provide long term rehabilitation to Children in conflict with law and Children in need of care and protection.
• 95 NGO run Children homes are running across the state to provide long term rehabilitation to children in need of care and protection.
• 34 Shelter homes/Open Shelters are running to provide immediate and short term rehabilitation assistance to runaway, missing, street children etc.
• 35 Specialized Adoption Agencies are functional in all districts to promote in-country and inter-country adoption.
• Presently 4511 Children are being benefited through the services of Child Care Institutions.

• Protsahan Yojana has been launched to promote CSR and Bhamashah support in Child Care Institutions. Following CCIs were supported by CSR/Bhamashah.
• DCR has made special efforts to loop in CSR contribution from Union Bank of India for Govt. Girls children home and Shishugreh Ajmer and Jaipur.
• MoU was signed with UBI under CSR contribution for the sum of Rs. 34.00 lacs for strengthening of CCIs.
• Model Govt. shishu grih, Bikaner has been built by Bhamashah contributing 60.00 Lacs.
• Zilla Pramukh, Hanumangarh announced CSR funding with estimate 26.00 lacs.
• IOCL Bhartpur have announced CSR funding for construction of Shishu grih.
• Model Govt. Children Home (Boys) , Bhilwara – Hindustan Zink.
• Govt. Balika and Shishu Greh, Bikaner – Individual Bhamashah.
• Govt. Balika and Shishu Greh, Jodhpur – SBI Bank, ONGC, Hindustan Ltd.
• Govt. observation and children home, Jodhpur – supported by Individual Bhamashah.
• Greh Unnyan Samiti under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary, SJE to improve the conditions of Child Care Institutions.
• Linkages has been created to ensure engagement of Civil Society and NGO’s in CCIs.
• Detailed guidelines have been given to DCPUs for compliance of minimum standards of care in CCIs.
• Detailed guidelines and instructions to DCPUs for the compliance of minimum standards of care in institutions.

• Following Child Care Institutions has been linked with various experienced NGOs -
• Govt. Observation and Children (Boys) Home, Jaipur – Taabar Sansthan (Re-creational activities, yoga and theater)
• Govt. Balika Greh, Jaipur – Smile and Prayas (Vocational Training)
• Govt. Balika Greh, Jodhpur– Man Sansthan, Sambhali Trust, Apna Ghar (Supporting education of girls)
• Govt. Balika Greh, Bharatpur – RKCL (Vocational Training)

• Department for Child Rights in partnership with Harish Chandra Mathur Rajasthan Institute of Public Administration (HCM RIPA), Jaipur has established “Rajasthan State Child Resource Centre” at HCM RIPA.
• Rajasthan State Child Resource Centre will function as nodal centre to undertake various activities including training, manual and module development, workshop, seminar, report, research and documentation as mandated under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 and Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).
• This centre will function as a nodal agency of capacity development of various stakeholders including Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Care Institution’s and District Child Protection Units etc. on child rights and child protection.
• Established of Place of Safety for Children in Conflict with Law in District of Bhilwara.
• As per direction JJC, HC, Place of Safety established in Jaipur, Bharatpur and Bikaner for Children in Conflict with Law.
• Detailed guidelines issued for the functioning of Cradle Baby Reception Centre situated at hospitals and CCIs.

• Review meeting done at Divisional level under the Chairmanship of Commissioner and Secretary, Department for Child Rights & Secretary of Rajasthan State Child Protection Society with line departments and stakeholders (DCPUs, CWCs, JJBs, SJPUs, Labour, Health, Education, Child Line, NGOs, Govt. and Non Govt. Children Homes, SAAs etc for the effective implementation of JJ Act, 2015 and Model Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2016, Protection of Children from Sexual Offices Act, 2012 and Integrated Child Protection Scheme
• One day video conference done with all District Collectors and concerning department under the Chairmanship of Ho’ble Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Department for Child Rights for effective implementation of ICPS and JJ Act.
• 2nd video conference done with all District and Session Judges, District Collectors and concerning department under the Chairmanship of Ho’ble High Court Judge Shri K.S. Jhaveri for effective implementation of JJ Act provision laid down in Acts.