The UN convention
on the Rights of Child which lndia ratified in 1992, lists
the following as the Rights of the child.
The Right to survival:
According to the convention, the "Right to survival includes
the right to life, the attainable standard of health, nutrition
and an adequate standard of living. It also includes the right
to a name and nationality". These rights seek to ensure that
the children have nutritious food, potable drinking water,
a secure home and access to health facilities.
The Right to Protection:
According to the convention, this right includes freedom from
all forms of exploitation, abuse and inhuman or degrading
treatment. This Includes the right to special protection in
situations of emergency and armed conflict. The aim is simple,
to protect vulnerable children from those who would take advantage
of them and to safeguard their minds and bodies.
The Right to development:
The right includes the right to be educated, to receive support
for development and care during early childhood and to social
security. It also includes the right to leisure, to recreation
and to cultural activities. This right seeks to ensure that
children can study and play with whomever they want, practice
their own religion and culture and accept their own uniqueness
of other cultures and religion.
The Right to participation:
According to the convention, the Riqht to participation accords
the child access to appropriate information and the freedom
of thought and expression, conscience and religion. In addition
to this, one ought to respect the views of the child. The
aim here is to see that the children are able to develop their
own set of values and principles and that they have the opportunity
to express themselves and their own opinions.
Apart from the Rights of Child laid down by the U.N.Conventions
following are some of the Rights of child laid down by different
Acts & the Indian Constitution :
No
person below eighteen years of age shall be allowed to
work in any mine or part thereof (The Mines(Amendment)
Act 1983).
No
child who has not completed his fourteenth year shall
be required or allowed to work in any factory(The factories
Act, 1948).
The
Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 The Juvenile Justice
Act was enacted to provide for the care, protection, treatment,
development and rehabilitation of neglected or delinquent
juveniles and for the adjudication of certain matters related
to and desposition of delinquent juveniles.
Special Provisions Relating
to a Girl Child
Measures
to prevent all forms of discrimination against girl child
Elimination
of all forms of discrimination against the girl child
Elimination
of negative cultural, attitudes and practices against
girls.
Elimination
of discrimination against girls in education, skill, development
and training
Elimination
of discrimination against girls in health and nutrition
Elimination
of girl child labor
Elimination
of violence against the girl-child.
Promoting
the girl-child's awareness of and participation in social,
economic and political life.
Strengthening
the role of the family in improving the status of the
girl-child
Duty
of Government to direct its policies to eliminate discrimination
against girl child.
