Northeast region will emerge as model in child rights protection in India: Tripura CM

Agartala, Aug 28 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Thursday that with coordinated efforts, the Northeastern region would emerge as a model in child rights protection in India.

Addressing the delegations and officials during the 'One Day North Eastern Regional Convention on Child Rights' at Pragna Bhavan here, the Chief Minister said that with the advice and guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and coordinated efforts, the region would emerge as a model in child rights protection in India.

Children of the Northeastern region, comprising eight states, are very talented and intelligent, he observed.

Stressing on the awareness, capacity building and community participation, CM Saha, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio, said that Special Juvenile Police Units are now active in each district in Tripura to ensure child-friendly procedure during investigation and care.

Eight one-stop centres are now operational in the state to provide integrated support to children and women facing violence, and two more such centres were sanctioned, he said.

Noting that 63,000 children are born in India every day, the Chief Minister said parents and all concerned must spend more quality time on the care and welfare of children.

Children's rights have to be protected at any cost, he said, adding that several acts were enacted for the protection, welfare and upbringing of children.

The Tripura government and all district administrations are very proactive in preventing child marriage and child labour, protecting and caring for street children and differently-abled, CM Saha said.

He informed that in Tripura, between 2022 to 2025, more than 28 orphan children got loving homes through legal adoption systems.

The Chief Minister said that 2.29 lakh children were covered in 2025 alone under POSHAN and Integrated Child Development Services to provide nutritious foods.

The centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme has been providing hot cooked meals to students in government and government-aided schools to improve their nutrition and encourage school attendance.

Another 'POSHAN Abhiyaan' (or National Nutrition Mission) is a broader flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development focused on improving nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant, and lactating mothers through technology and community involvement.

The Chief Minister said, "A child nurtured and protected today will become a responsible citizen of tomorrow. Investing in children is not less than investing in our collective future. Our government is committed to building a safe, nurturing and empowering environment for every child."

During the event, Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy, Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Tripti Gurha, Secretary of Social Welfare and Social Education Department Tapas Roy, and Director of Social Welfare and Social Education Department Tapan Kumar Das were present.

--IANS

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