Child rights body asks states to upload data on out-of-school children latest by January 28

NEW DELHI: With states yet to upload the data on identified out-of-school children on a dedicated portal set-up by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court last year, the apex child rights body has written to the authorities across states and UTs to upload the data and progress made latest by January 28.
The Commission has also sought a status report on implementation of standard operating procedures of NCPCR for implementation of provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009 and measures taken to link out of school children to formal education.
A national level colloquium on out-of-school children has been scheduled by the Commission at Vigyan Bhawan in the Capital on February 2 to address the issue of out-of-school children and the way forward. The NCPCR has also sought data on appointment of district level nodal officers. So far the Commission has received information about appointment of 222 nodal officers only whereas there are over 700 districts in the country.
Highlighting the measures required to be taken, the commission reminded the states and UTs about the letters written to the departments since June last year seeking action taken reports on the compliance of the orders of the SC and a review meeting with the states and UTs was held at Vigyan Bhawan on July 16.
In the letter sent out to the states earlier this week, NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo said that the SC in an order on January 6 this year has directed NCPCR to verify as to whether the benefits have been really conferred to the children who have lost either of their parent or both the parents during the Covid period. The Court through its order has also clarified that any non-cooperation by any state government or school will be viewed seriously.
In an order in May last year the SC had directed the NCPCR to have a web portal on which the information relating to the action taken by the state governments/Union Territories for the continuance of the education of children must be updated. As a follow-up a portal on out-of-school children was set-up by the NCPCR.
The court had sought that the district education officers should do the mapping of such children who have been absent from his/her school for 30 consecutive working days and that those children should be treated as dropout children.