Historical Review of Child Welfare in India Mr

Historical Review of Child Welfare in India Mr. Vijay Sansare Assistant Professor

�The governments of the bygone era did not consider child welfare as a part of their agenda as children were invisible entities. �Children were considered as ‘miniature adults’ and were required to fend for themselves in the adult world. �Individual and religious organisations rather than the governments realised the importance of childhood and undertook to preserve it by providing welfare. Introduction

�Thereafter, the governments and the world community recognised the need to take care of the child and today it has emerged at the centre of public concern almost all over the world. �Leaders and statesman in all parts of the world have begun to identify themselves with family and children’s issues (Black 1996). Introduction

�The earliest known form of service to the needy children began with orphanages attached to early monasteries in Catholic or Islamic countries, the oldest of which may probably have been the 9 th century orphanage in the Iranian Mosque of Holy Shrine at Meshad (Baig 1979). �There were no crèches, nursery schools or children’s hospitals and everything related to children was considered to be the responsibility of the mother and the family. International Level

�The concept of child care began to develop in France probably due to the French Revolution in the 17 th century. �On realising that children needed special provisions, France developed progressive ‘minor rights’ by enacting laws to protect children at their work place in 1841 and subsequently, a right to education in 1881 (Baig 1979). International Level

�Movements to save the child from exploitation and abuse at work places due to industrial revolution started in France and Europe in the beginning of the 20 th century. �Development of child protection legislations, schooling and construction of separate institutions including the juvenile courts for delinquent children was undertaken during this time (Bhakry 2006). International Level

�An English lady Eglantyne Jebb and her sister Dorothy Buxton found Save the Children Fund (Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child - 1924 n. d. ) at London in 1919 to provide assistance and protection to children who had experienced war or were victims of war. �In 1920 it was organised as ‘International Save the Children Union’ with the support of International Committee International Level -of the Red Cross and thus brought the focus of the League Nations society andof the world community on the vulnerable position of children.

�On 28 February 1924 Jebb sent Declaration of the Rights of the Child to the League of Nations (Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child - 1924 n. d. ) which adopted the declaration on September 26, 1924 and titled it as the ‘Geneva Declaration. ’ �Recognition of the Rights of the Child led to an understanding that childhood is an integral part of a Level child’s life International - and child welfare is the responsibility of the whole League of Nations world community and not the parents alone.

�The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (Geneva Declaration of the rights of the Child – 1924 n. d. ) acted as guidelines which the countries were expected to follow for providing the children their rights. International Level League of Nations

� In 1946 the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations recommended that the Geneva Declaration be reaffirmed as a sign of commitment to the cause of children. � UNICEF was set up with the objective to care for the children of the world affected by not only war but even the economic and political upheavals. � The UN General Assembly adopted the ‘The Rights of the Child’ on December 10, 1959, through its resolution 1386 (XIV) (Declaration of the Rights of the Child n. d. ) that states that the child by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection before as well as after birth. � The Rights of the Child have also been recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. International Level – United Nations

�Convention on the Rights of the Child, a legally binding International Treaty was set up to ensure that all the children – persons up to 18 years of age, were given their due rights. �It is obligatory for Member States to incorporate changes in their respective policies, legislations and programmes to provide welfare, care and protection to children. �Committee on the Rights of the Child (Committee on the Rights of the–Child 1991) International Level monitors the implementation of the Convention. Nations of the Rights of the Child and its United two optional protocols.

� United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989; � UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles deprived of their Liberty, 1990; � UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules), 1985; � United Nations � Guidelines for the Protection of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines), 1990; � Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter-Country Adoption, 1993. International Legislations

� On one hand India has the distinction of having had the first manuscript Kashyapa Tantra, on the management of children before the birth of Christ, having a chapter on Kumara Bharitya i. e. service to children (Rattan 1997). � Another ancient text Kautilya’s Arthasastra also mentions details about the care of mother and the child. “Child labour was discouraged and provisions were made for maternity benefits to female slaves and labourers”. � There were orphanages that provided food and education to children (Rattan 1997). � On the other hand Atharva Veda reflects the attitude towards children in a passage “Birth of a girl, grant it elsewhere, here grant a boy”(Rattan 1997). � Child welfare in the ancient times was entirely the responsibility of the mother and family. National Level – Primeval Times

� Organised child welfare is of a relatively recent origin and dates back to 1874 when some missionary schools in Lucknow and Poona (Baig 1979) started experiments regarding the needs and care of pre-school child and the starting of new educational movements by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengal and Annie Besant in south of India (Baig 1979). � In 1920 ‘Balkan Ji Bari’ came into being to provide services to children belonging to the poor, uneducated and helpless families (Bhakry 2006). National Level – Modern Times

�In 1927 ‘The Children’s Aid Society’ was formed basically to take vagrant children off the streets and put them in residential care (Baig 1979). �Leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, advocated for the abolition of child marriages and sati. �Mahatma Gandhi and later Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru inculcated social concern for children the citizens of tomorrow (Bhakry 2006). National Level – Modern Times

�Following multipronged strategy was adopted to develop childhood and child welfare after independence: �Constitution of India ◦ Fundamental rights ◦ Directive principles of the state policy ◦ Fundamental duties �Policies National Level – After Independence

� Fundamental Rights (Part III - Fundamental Rights 2011) provided to all citizens include equality before law to every citizen under Article 14; freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1); prohibition of discrimination under Article 17; prohibition of trafficking of human beings and forced labour under Article 23; special provisions for women and children made by the State under Article 15 (3); free and compulsory education to children and free and compulsory education for children from 6 -14 years of age under Article 21 and 21 (A) respectively. Fundamental Duties

� Directive Principles (Part IV - Directive Principles of State Policy 2011) bars children from entering a vocation that is unsuitable for their age besides ensuring that they get all opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner under Article 39; provides for Early Childhood Care and Education of children up to 6 years of age under Article 45; gives directions for promoting the interests of children belonging to the weaker section under Article 46; and provides for making laws and policies for child welfare in per the International Laws and Treaties ratified by the government under Article 51. Directives Principles of the State Policy

�Article 51 (A) k (Part IV A - Fundamental Duties 2011) provide for moral obligations which state that a parent or the guardian should give opportunities for the education of their child or ward between 6 -14 years of age. Fundamental Duties

�National Policy for Children -1974 �National Policy for Children, April 26, 2013 Policies

�General legislations relating to industry having provisions for children include: The Factories Act 1948 The Plantation labour Act, 1951, Apprentices Act 1961, The Merchant Shipping Act; 1958, Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983 etc. ; �The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956; �The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986; �Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000; National Legislations

�The Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 & 2006; �Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006; �Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education Act 2009; �Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012; �Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding, Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) and its Amendment Act 2003. National Legislations

�Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) 1975 ◦ Kishori Shakti Yojana ◦ Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for the Adolescent Girls (SABLA), ◦ Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana, Ladli �Integrated (ICPS) Child Protection Scheme ◦ Shishu Grehs ◦ bal bhawans and crèches. Programmes for Child Welfare

� The First Plan stated “Children should receive much greater consideration than is commonly given to them, ” The first few plans provided for children under the head of ‘Social welfare’ along with other disadvantaged sections of the society. � After the formulation of the ‘National Policy of the Child’ in 1974 there were exclusive provisions for children in the subsequent plans. � Women and child specific policies and programmes were formulated after the setting up of Union Ministry for Women and Child Development in 2006. Five Year Plans

�https: //www. researchgate. net/publication /309124447 (30/10/2018) References