The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Government of India organized the third one day Regional Symposium on Child Protection, Child Safety and Child Welfare on 22nd July,2023 at Sri Shanmukhananda Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Auditorium, Mumbai . There were seven participating states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. The Symposium was attended by more than 2500 representatives from Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Members of Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC) and Anganwadi Workers. The programme is part of a series of regional symposiums to be held across the country to raise awareness and outreach about Child Protection, Child Safety and Child Welfare issues.

The Symposium was graced by Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister, Women and Child Development, Government of India. The event was also addressed by Shri Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Additional Secretary, Women and Child Development, Government of India.

The focus of the programme was on the Amendments in the Juvenile Justice Act, Rules. Its impact on adoption processes was highlighted in the experience shared by Prospective Adoptive Parents who received a quick resolution post the Amendment in September, 2022.

Joint Secretary, MoWCD, Smt. Indra Mallo spoke about that how we have to see children as having rights, having the right to survive, the right to grow, the right to develop & education for fulfilling the dream of social mobility.

She also mentioned the soft launch of the Mission Vatsalya Portal, where MIS and e-office applications are available to all states.

Additional Secretary, MoWCD, Shri Sanjeev Kumar Chadha mentioned that Mission Vatsalya is a road map that aims to ensure that no child is left behind, and our goal is to ensure a healthy and happy childhood for every such child.

Additionally, he emphasized how much the Juvenile Justice Act, CCIs, and other institutions have improved since the adoption of Mission Vatsalya, and how the District Officers' careful oversight of its implementation has greatly benefited the general public and children. 

Union Minister, MoWCD, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, expressed her gratitude towards all the members of CCIs, CWCs, JJBs, AWWs, DCPUs saying “You are those citizens of India who have silently dedicated yourselves, to securing the most vulnerable in our country and to not seek that space in headlines, is in itself an example of service with a sense of humility and humanity.”

She emphasized on how with the assistance of TRACK THE MISSING CHILD, 4 lakh lost children in the country had been rescued and returned to their families.

She additionally highlighted that with the cooperation of all and the coordination of the government, more than 2500 adoptions have taken place across the country in a year.

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development paid her special honors to the Village Protection Committee and urged them to list out any Vulnerable Children, so that in coordination, Government of India can reach the children for better help and security.

She spoke about how, a year prior, the Ministry decided to bring back the adolescent girls who were out of school, and with the synchronization, 1 lakh girls were returned to school.

With the collaborative efforts of MoWCD, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Minority Affairs, the WCD Minister put forward a special request on behalf of children from Minority Community, to identify such children who are out of school, and give them the right to education (RTE) up to 14 years which they are entitled to.

The successful Mission Vatsalya initiatives were disseminated through this event.

******

SS/AKS