Kerala to roll out new child policy

Despite its commendable achievements in infant mortality rates, education and nutrition, violence against children has been found to be on the rise.

It was also found that primitive practices, especially in the name of religion, have stood in the way of the comprehensive growth of the child.

“The northern part of the state, for instance, is on the verge of a diphtheria outbreak. Refusal to subject children to immunisation citing religious reasons in certain pockets of the state is mainly responsible for such a situation,” a top Social Justice official said.

The proposed policy holds four principles sacrosanct for the growth of the child: right to survival and basic needs; development rights; protection from abuse, exploitation, and neglect; and right to participation.

“The policy will evolve action plans to achieve each of the four goals,” the official said.

To ensure right to survival and basic needs, the policy recommends among many other things prevention of mental and physical disabilities through continued 100 percent coverage of all pregnant women for pre-natal, perinatal and post-natal health and nutrition care of mother and child.

To protect children from all forms of violence and abuse, the policy suggests the implementation of appropriate programmes for counselling and mentoring those displaying deviant behaviour.

To secure the child’s right to development, the proposed policy suggests the promotion and strengthening of legislative, administrative and institutional redressal mechanisms, including setting up Special Courts in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode as in Ernakulam.

The policy emphasises that all forms of authority be it the government or the family should respect the views of the child, especially those of the girl child, children with disabilities.