ICYO

YOUTH INFORMATION

                           No: 2008/3

(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)

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ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.       

ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.

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Soon, one definition for ‘child’

 

New Delhi: The government will soon come out with a uniform definition of ‘child’. A committee set up by the National Commission for Child Rights is likely to go by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says, ‘‘A child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law... majority is attained earlier’’.

 

As of now, different age limits are followed. While juvenile justice considers boys till 16 and girls till 18 to be children, for education, the uniform limit is 16.

 

Employing boys and girls below 14 is child labour but for prevention of child marriages, the limit is 18 for girls and 21 for boys

 

Panel to decide upper age limit of childhood

 

New Delhi: When does childhood end? At 18, when a girl can marry; 16, when she can give consent for sex; or 14, when a person can work in hazardous jobs? These legal ambiguities may soon be history, with moves afoot to hammer out a uniform definition of ‘‘child’’ in India.

 

The National Commission for Child Rights (NCPCR) has constituted a committee, comprising representatives from ministries of HRD, labour and women and child development, to redefine the upper age limit of childhood in the country. The committee, chaired by NCPCR member Deepa Dikshit, will place its final suggestions by March this year. And, it’s likely to follow the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child while arriving at a common age, after which a person should not be legally regarded as a child.

 

According to Article 1 of UNCRC, ‘‘a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier’’. The Article, however, grants individual countries the discretion to determine by law whether childhood ceases at 12, 14, 16 or whatever age is found appropriate. Being a signatory to UNCRC, NCPCR in its preamble, vows to protect the rights of anyone under the age of 18.

Having a single definition of childhood age will have farreaching consequences. ‘‘There are multiple variations in India about the definition of a child. NCPCR believes that UNCRC’s definition of a child should be universally accepted by the government for right to education, prevention of child labour, booking anyone under criminal law or any other purpose. This would certainly be a step forward for protection of child rights in education, as lakhs of children in the age group of 15-18 years will then be able to avail of government schemes of free and compulsory education. Currently, the right to education is restricted to the age of 14, when a child is in Class VIII or IX. There should be compulsory education till 18 years, when they can at least study till Class XII,’’ NCPCR chairperson Shantha Sinha told TOI.

 

There are wide variations regarding the definition of a child in India. For purposes of legal protection against kidnapping and related offences, it’s 16 years for boys and 18 for girls. But for special treatment under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000, the age is 18 for both boys and girls. And the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 defines a child as any person below the age of 18, and includes an adopted step or foster child.

‘‘Article 21 A of the Constitution of India says that the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children within the ages of six and 14, while Article 45 specifies that the state shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six,’’ Sinha said. (Times of India)

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Youth Information is published by

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave

New Delhi 110029, India

Phone: 91 9811729093  / 91 11 26183978 Fax 91 11 26198423

Email: icyoindia@... / icyo@...

Web:  www.icyo.in

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. 

ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of
over 356 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

Our goal:
To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
To promote effective youth programmmes;
To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programmes and activities

Affiliation: 

Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Steering Committee member of World Bank's YDP Network;
Working relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO);
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia.