Khanna seeks making Vande Mataram part of school routine
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The chairwoman of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Geeta Khanna, informed that a letter has been sent to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in which she has asked for the appointment of a nodal person to ensure the strong protection of children’s rights in all schools across the State. She also called for the issuance of necessary guidelines regarding the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram in schools. This proposal was made on the occasion of Children’s Day, the 25th anniversary of the State and the completion of a decade of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), as well as the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, she said.
Further, Khanna participated virtually in a district-level one-day programme on Friday, organised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in Tehri. During the event, she emphasised the crucial role of parents and stakeholders in safeguarding childhood, highlighting the importance of making children’s lives easier to protect them from addiction, loneliness and depression and to foster their intellectual development. She stressed that children should not be treated as mini adults and should be allowed to enjoy their childhood.
Khanna informed that a workshop on sensitisation and awareness on child rights will be held on November 15, during which various departments—such as Education, Health, Police, Women and Child Development and the Labour department—will present reports on their respective subjects. Additionally, the commission will conduct a coordination meeting on November 20, attended by all relevant stakeholders, including the Women Empowerment and Child Development (WECD) Department, Child Welfare Committee, Probation Department, and the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). All departments have been directed to submit action-taken reports and progress updates from previous meetings.
She added that the Commission is committed to establishing effective coordination among all departments to ensure the rights, safety, protection and overall development of every child in the State, with the goal of making Uttarakhand a child-friendly State.
