National child policy 2012

• India, on 18 April 2013, adopted a policy document at the highest level to recognize every child’s right to survival, development, protection and participation.
• Policy defined a child as a person below 18 years of age. 
• It adds that all existing legislation will have to change to honor the policy.
• This means the government will now have to amend laws that bear conflicting definitions of children.
• The key guiding principles of the policy are the right of every child to life, survival, development, education, protection and participation, equal rights for all children without discrimination. 
• The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 will have to be amended to define all children below 18 years.
• At present, this law differentiates between male and female children defining a child as anyone below 21 years in case of “males” and “anyone below 18 years in case of “females”.
• Similarly, the Prohibition of Child Labour Act will have to change as it currently defines a child as someone below 14 years for the purpose of child labour.
• The change in child’s definition stems from India’s commitment to the UN Convention on Rights of the Child which it ratified long ago but failed to bring its laws in line with the UNCRC. 
• India adopted the last National Child Policy way back in 1974.

• The old policy stressed Integrated Child Development Services, immunisation and child labour. But since the advent of globalisation, rise in crimes against children and strides in mass media, the government had not revised its policy which could guide the national plans properly.

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