JAMMU, OCT 07: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has sought the government’s response to various suggestions filed by lawyer-activist Meenu Padha for the interest of children who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Besides others, the suggestions include imparting sexual education in schools and the introduction of a curriculum focusing on child protection to be implemented in both government and private schools.
In this regard, a bench of Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Rajesh Sekhri asked S.S. Nanda, the senior Additional Advocate General, to file a response by or before November 15.
Padha, who is one among the petitioners in several PILs regarding children’s welfare, also sought the introduction of a Specialized Curriculum, focusing on child protection to be implemented in both government and private schools. This curriculum, she says, needs to be overseen by an expert committee to sensitize teachers, empower children to report abuse, and establish a protocol for handling complaints.
She said there should be mandatory sexual education in schools, and awareness programs to educate citizens about child abuse in all its forms.
A comprehensive training program, she said, shall be conducted for teachers and staff to identify, prevent, and address various forms of child abuse including sexual abuse, coercion, and virtual abuse.
She said that strategies should be made to identify potential abusers, ensuring the safety of the children, both at home and within school premises.
Schools, she said, should be urged to establish a transparent safeguarding policy, ensuring confidentiality, reporting mechanisms, and appropriate action against offenders. She also called for the establishment of more One-Stop Centers where individuals, more so victims’ families, can report child abuse by filing complaints without visiting a police station. She said that centres should be staffed with female officers to comfort and support female victims. She also called for creating more awareness by encouraging the active participation of parents, communities, and institutions like Anganwadis and Nukad Natak in raising awareness about child abuse.
