The National Development Foundation (NDF), in collaboration with the District Administration Rajouri and in partnership with UNICEF India, today organized a Capacity Building Workshop for District Functionaries on the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Mission Vatsalya.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the child protection mechanism in the district and enhance the understanding of various stakeholders involved in ensuring the safety, care and wellbeing of children.
Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma was the Chief Guest. Addressing the participants, the DC called upon the stakeholders to adopt a collective and coordinated approach to safeguard the rights of children.
He said that parents and guardians serve as the first line of defense for children and must ensure their physical, mental, psychological and intellectual development while also inculcating a sense of social responsibility in them.
Highlighting the pivotal role of institutional mechanism, the DC stated that the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) bear the fundamental responsibility of protecting children from neglect, abuse and exploitation.
“If children are handled with care and attention at the right time, a criminal mindset will never develop,” he remarked. The workshop featured informative and interactive sessions by key speakers including Shaheen Khan (CPO), ALC Pradyot Gupta, Advocate Ashfaq Lone, Principal BHSS Rajouri Muslim Wani, Programme Manager NDF Sunny Kumar and CWC Member Suresh, who enlightened the participants about different aspects of child protection laws and welfare schemes.
The sessions focused on enhancing the capacity of frontline officers to implement child protection frameworks effectively and ensure a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment for every child in Rajouri district.
PO ICDS Harpal Singh, DySP Satish Kumar, CPDO Israr Shah and other district and sectoral officers also attended the workshop. The event concluded with a vote of thanks and a collective resolve to strengthen the child protection system at every level through coordinated efforts and sustained community awareness.