We often hear that the children are the future of a nation, but it can be true only when they are provided with a safe, secure, and healthy environment. To ensure the proper growth of the children of our nation, we observe Child Rights Day every year. The entire nation observes Child Rights Day on the 20th of November to provide to children of our nation with the rights that the constitution of India grants them.
Child Rights Day holds a nationwide observation and is free from all regional, religious, and other such differences.
Child Rights Day 2022
This year, the nation is going to observe Child Rights Day 2022 on 20th of November, Sunday. It will be the 16th observation of Child Rights Day of India. Like Children’s Day, it s counted among few very important days of the Indian calendar. The importance of this event can be understood only by the fact that people have already started preparations for it.
History
After the long-awaited independence of our nation, the Constitution of India came into effect from 26 January 1950. It included all the fundamental rights and duties since then, but child rights were added to it later and were declared on 20 November 2007.
Since then, the entire nation is observing 20 November annually as the Child Rights Day. The Government of India has also made a constitutional body to keep its eye on child’s rights, and it is known as ‘The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’. This commission works for protecting the rights of all children of the nation without any discrimination. Undoubtedly, the current situation of our society badly needs to organize such an important event that can contribute to the growth of the nation.
Celebration/Activities
There are a variety of programmes held as the celebration of the occasion. It includes seminars, camps, competitions, and other such programmes. Some cultural activities are organized by the schools and colleges so that the children can freely enjoy the day and learn the cultural heritage of their nation.
Some educational institutions conduct an extra class or an exhibition through which they educate children about their rights and teach them to adopt them in their life. Quiz, essay competitions, drawing, and painting competitions are also organized, which remain aimed at spreading awareness among children regarding their rights.
Newspapers, social media platforms, TVs, and Radio are used to share information about child rights. The focus is made to aware of parents because they hold the responsibility of their children. Only they can guide their children in a better way. With every celebration, it is expected that the nation will succeed in providing children with their constitutional rights.
Objectives and Significance
As we all know that Child Rights Day is a day to promote the rights of children of our nation and do justice with them, the objective of observing the day is to promote the welfare of children. By observing the occasion, the nation ensures that children are equipped with all the rights that the constitution of India grants them.
This is an occasion through which the entire focuses on the growth of the children. Under the guidance of their parents and teacher, the children can have a balanced growth in their society. The collective observation of Child Rights Day helps in attracting the vision of the government on the issues related to children in India. By this, the Government also gets help to think about the modification that is needed in the constitution so that the children can live with proper rights.
There are many communities and also many areas where people are living with the absence of knowledge of child rights. Child Rights Day teaches them what child right is and what facilities do their children have in their society that nobody can take from them. This is also a perfect day to fight against the problem that children are facing now a day and making an appropriate plan to eradicate them completely from India.
Child Rights in India
There are some rights that the Constitution of India grants to the children of the nation. These rights are as follows:
- Right to Survival – Children have the right to survive freely and have a healthy, safe, secured and prosperous environment. They should be provided with proper nutrition.
- Right to Development – Education, care, nurture and participation in cultural activities are also included in the rights of children.
- Right to Protection – Right to Protection is an important factor included in the right of the children. Having protection from exploitation and social discrimination are rights of every child of the nation and they must be provided by it by their parents.
- Right to Participation – Children have the right to express their thoughts and opinions. They also can have the knowledge as claimed by the Government of India.
Right to Education is included in the fundamental rights of children recently. It makes primary education compulsory for every child of the nation. It is also completely free of cost. Through the Right to Education, the Government ensures that no children should be left without basic knowledge of things. He/she must have primary education and keeping them away from it is a punishable offense for the parents for which they can be jailed.
Data and Statistics on Child Rights Day
After every ten years, the Government of India conducts a census to help in planning. Through these censuses, various helpful data and statistics are revealed which help the government to formulate the laws for the next terms.
As per the census of 2011, around 32% of children of the nation successfully complete their school education while the rest of them either drop out or leave due to some reasons.
The number of such schools that have the proper arrangement from class 1st to class 12th is very few in India. It also impacts the basic education for children.
More than 10 million children in India are somehow involved in some cases of child abuse and exploitation. Most of them are the causes of child labour and forced child sex.
Around 200 children are kidnapped every day in India and there is no police record found of them in most of the cases. Even in many cases, the legal processes are not preceded.
According to the data provided by the National Crime Record Bureau, the crimes against children have increased by more than 6 times in the past decade.
The cases of suicide among children in India have also increased and the prime reason behind it is the failure in the examination.
The girl child is forced to marry at a very young age in India. Because of it, she fails to make her career and depends on someone else for her livelihood throughout her life.
Other problems to be faced by a girl child in India are lack of education, exploitation, and sexual abuse. There are many other problems that they are forced to face.
Conclusion
Child Rights Day is a national event to be celebrated in every part of the nation. The rural population in India needs to know much about it as they are always kept in darkness while talking about national matters. It is our responsibility to provide children with their rights and telling their parents about them. We should not forget that we are part of our society, and we have some responsibilities for it.