As we celebrate 75 years of independent India, the Ministry of Women & Child Development is planning to host a set of activities and events which align with the larger vision of the Ministry, i.e., holistic development of women and children. The activities, covering the theme of Children Ideas, Rights & Nutrition have been planned from 14th November to 21st November 2021. These activities include outreach activities in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and Specialised Adoption Agencies, Adoption awareness programs, seminars/webinars on legal awareness, child and adolescent health, child rights etc. The objective is to utilise the week for generation of awareness about child rights and stimulate the collective thought process of the community at large in this direction.

The Ministry kickstarted the week with a host of activities in different Child Care Institutions today i.e.,14^th November, the Children’s Day. The Minister of Women and Child Development Smt Smriti Zubin Irani attended the Valedictory Ceremony of National Legal Services Authority’s ‘Pan India Lega Awareness & Outreach Campaign’ presided over by CJI Shri N.V. Ramana, here today. Organised as part of Amrit Mahotsav, the program impacted nearly 70 crore Indians and sensitised them about their legal rights. Expressing her gratitude to NALSA for laying emphasis on legal rights of children for their growth and protection, the WCD Minister Smt Irani stated  that the Ministry of WCD too has ensured through SAMVAD in collaboration with NIMHANS that over 1 lakh stakeholders are trained to help children in distress. The minister informed that, as part of Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of WCD under SAMVAD will  organise workshops for professionals working with children on interventions (legal & mental health) and skills needed while dealing with child sexual abuse. These workshops will be held between 8 Jan-22 Feb 2022.

 

During the week, visits to at least 17 Child Care Institutions spread across States like, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur have been planned. The activities would include video screening for the children on cultural heritage of India, folk dances, visits to National Museums, storytelling about great leaders of India and its freedom fighters, quizzes on Indian history & heritage and environment awareness programs with the help of Eco Clubs.

The Ministry is also organising a quiz competition on the theme of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ for Diaspora children with assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs. Furthermore, the program would include national consultation on child and adolescent mental health and child sexual abuse through SAMVAD. These consultations would further evolve through discussions on essential interventions and skills for working with child sexual abuse during the months of January and February 2022 under the aegis of Ministry of WCD and NIMHANS.

Moreover, there will be awareness programs for adoption related legal and procedural processes for the adoptive parents and prospective adoptive parents in Bengaluru, Kolkata, Guwahati, Lucknow, Patna, Pune and Chandigarh. In light of the recent amendments to the JJ Act following which adoption rules for NRI prospective adoptive parents have been modified, awareness webinars/seminars are being organised for the State Adoption Authorities and Indian Missions abroad.

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