Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug. 18: A District-Level Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on “10 Years of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015” was held today in the Conference Hall of the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman in accordance with the guidance of the Hon’ble Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court at Calcutta, pursuant to the initiative of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
The consultation brought together key stakeholders from various departments and institutions, including the Police, Education, Health, Social Welfare, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Child Care Institutions (CCIs), Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and other agencies associated with child protection and welfare.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaborative mechanisms for ensuring the safety, rights, protection, rehabilitation and holistic development of children in need of care and protection, children in conflict with law, and children involved in adoption processes, in accordance with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
The consultation commenced with a discussion on the key focus areas and cross-cutting themes circulated by the Hon’ble Juvenile Justice Committee. Emphasis was laid on effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, timely intervention, inter-departmental coordination, child-friendly procedures and strengthening community-level child protection mechanisms.
The District Child Protection Unit, South Andaman, made a detailed Power Point presentation covering adoption, children in need of care and protection, children in conflict with law, and the major achievements and developments during the last ten years of implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 in the district.
Shri Subhra Bandopadhyay, Hon’ble District and Sessions Judge; Shri Umesh Singh, Hon’ble Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge, POCSO, Shri Samrat Roy, Hon’ble Chief Judicial Magistrate, and Shri Jayanta Mukherjee, Judicial Magistrate First Class cum Principal Magistrate, Juvenile Justice Board, highlighted the importance of sensitizing the Judiciary, Police and other concerned departments towards adopting child-friendly procedures while dealing with matters relating to children in need of care and protection, children in conflict with law and adoption under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 especially in the preliminary assessment Under Sec 15 of Juvenile Justice Act .
The participants also stressed upon the need for continuous capacity building and sensitization of frontline functionaries, effective case management and timely coordination among all stakeholders involved in child protection. The importance of ensuring that children receive appropriate care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration was also highlighted.
Ms. Purva Garg, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, appreciated the active participation and collaborative efforts of all the departments and institutions. She emphasized that coordinated and accountable action by all stakeholders is essential for strengthening the district-level child protection system and ensuring effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Ms. Shweta K. Sugathan, IPS, Superintendent of Police, South Andaman, underscored the importance of strengthening protection, rehabilitation and reintegration measures for Children in Conflict with Law, while emphasizing the need for continued coordination between the Police, Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, DCPU and other concerned agencies.
The consultation served as an important platform for reviewing the progress made during the last decade, identifying existing gaps and discussing measures for further strengthening the child protection and juvenile justice system in South Andaman. The stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to working together towards creating a safe, child-friendly, responsive and supportive environment for every child.