New Delhi: The government has to acknowledge that even children have fundamental and human rights and they cannot be compelled to live in uncomfortable conditions merely because they have “no voice in the affairs” of state, the Supreme Court on Friday said.
The apex court said that rights of children need to be “enforced equally strongly” and if the Executive ignores the mandate of Parliament with “continuing callousness”, it would only be detrimental to the children of the country.
The top court’s observations came while passing a slew of directions for effective implementation of the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
“It is said that children are the future of the country and if they are not looked after, it is the future of the country that is at stake,” a bench comprising justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta said in its 62-page judgement.
“No one has any doubt that it is time for the state to strongly and proactively acknowledge that even children in our country have fundamental rights and human rights and they need to be enforced equally strongly,” it said.
It directed the ministry of women and child development and all state governments to ensure that all positions in the national and state commissions for protection of child rights are filled up well in time and adequate staff is provided to these statutory bodies so that they can function effectively.
