19 Jan 2022 ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ program
- Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) suggested that the Delhi government postpone its flagship ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ program till the time the children are protected. Not all related defects are rectified.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights:
- NCPCR has been constituted in March 2007 as a statutory body under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
- It is working under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- The Commission’s mandate ensures that all laws, policies, programs and administrative machinery are in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of India on the Rights of the Child as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- It investigates complaints related to the right to free and compulsory education for a child under the Right to Education Act, 2009.
- It oversees the implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 [Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012].
About Desh Ke Mentor program:
- It was launched in October 2021, with the aim of connecting students of classes IX to XII with Voluntary Mentors.
- Through an app created by a team from Delhi Technological University, people in the age group of 18 to 35 years can sign up to be mentors, who will engage with students based on mutual interests.
- Mentorship includes regular phone calls for a minimum period of two months, which may alternately extend to the next four months.
- The idea is to motivate young mentors to guide students in matters like higher education and career options, so that they can prepare for higher education entrance exams better and be free from pressure.
- So far 44,000 people have signed up as mentors, working with 1.76 lakh children.
Concerns raised by NCPCR:
- Connecting children with same-sex mentors is not the only way to protect them from abuse.
- Lack of police verification of the mentor.
- The psychometric test is not a full proof assessment of an individual in terms of potential danger to a child.
- Limiting conversations to phone calls also does not ensure the safety of children because “child-related crimes can also be initiated through phone calls.”
- It is the responsibility and accountability of the department to protect the children from such situations. Parental consent cannot be used in case of any untoward incident.
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