ITANAGAR, AUG 22: Governor Lt Gen KT Parnaik (Retd) has expressed grave concern over the rising number of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the extremely low rate of prosecution, while calling for stronger and more preventive child protection mechanisms across Arunachal Pradesh. The Governor made the observations when the Chairperson of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), accompanied by members of the Commission, called on him at Lok Bhavan here on Saturday. The Chairperson briefed the Governor on the outcomes of the two-day North East SCPCRs Convention on Child Rights held at Tawang on July 31 and August 1, which brought together child rights institutions from across the North Eastern States to deliberate on emerging challenges, best practices and collaborative strategies for protecting children. Appreciating the initiative, Parnaik said the well-being of children must remain a collective responsibility of society and the government. He said every child deserves a safe childhood, quality education, good health, protection from exploitation and equal opportunities to realise his or her potential. Parnaik called upon the APSCPCR to function as a vigilant watchdog for child rights and a catalyst for creating a child-friendly Arunachal Pradesh. He also urged the Commission to move beyond a predominantly complaint-based mechanism towards a preventive child protection framework, with greater emphasis on early identification and prevention of violations. The Governor advised the Commission to focus on child abuse, trafficking, child labour, substance abuse, school dropouts, child marriage and cyber exploitation. He stressed the need for stronger district-level monitoring and closer coordination with schools, Anganwadi centres, law enforcement agencies, health departments and community organisations to identify vulnerable children at an early stage. Expressing concern over the growing POCSO cases and low prosecution rate, the Governor stressed the need for effective prosecution of offences under the Act and stronger monitoring of Child Care Institutions. He called for institutionalising regular inspections of observation homes, shelter homes, hostels and other child care facilities. He further emphasised strict monitoring of the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, POCSO Act and Right to Education Act. Periodic reviews and independent assessments, he said, would improve accountability and help address systemic gaps in child protection. Highlighting the growing social and digital challenges faced by children, Parnaik called for a broad-based Child Rights Awareness Movement across the State. He suggested a statewide child rights literacy campaign involving educational institutions, Panchayati Raj bodies, religious leaders, youth organisations, civil society groups and the media. He said awareness programmes covering child protection laws, online safety, mental health, counselling services and reporting mechanisms should reach villages as well as urban areas. The Chairperson thanked the Governor for his guidance and assured him that the Commission would work towards implementing the suggestions to create a safer, more inclusive and child-friendly environment in the State. APSCPCR members Niri Chongrowju, Honluk Lukham, Ngurang Achung and Member Secretary Yakar Dawe accompanied the Chairperson during the meeting.
