Selection Panel for Child Rights Commission reconstituted
*One advt after another, selection still in ‘process’
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 7: Even nearly three years after framing of the Jammu and Kashmir Commission for Protection of Child Rights Rules, 2022, the Government of the Union Territory has failed to appoint the Chairperson and Members of the Commission-an alarming reflection of bureaucratic apathy towards one of the most vital social institutions meant to safeguard the interests of children.
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Now, the Selection Committee has been reconstituted with Minister for Social Welfare as its Chairperson and Administrative Secretaries of Social Welfare Department and Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as members with the direction to prepare the select list and submit recommendations for appointment of Chairperson and Members of the Commission. However, no time-frame has been mentioned in the Government order.
The Social Welfare Department, which was tasked with the responsibility, has repeatedly initiated the selection process-one advertisement after another but has failed every single time to conclude the exercise. Despite repeated directions and censure from the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Commission continues to exist only on paper, depriving the children of the UT of an institutional voice for the protection of their rights.
According to official sources, though the procedure for appointment was clearly defined in the 2022 Rules, the department woke up only in June 2023, almost a year later, to invite applications for one post of Chairperson and six posts of Members. The move, however, ended in failure as there was a poor response to the advertisement due to the stringent eligibility conditions.
The criteria required candidates to possess Graduation in subjects like Education, Child Psychology, Child Development, Juvenile Justice, or laws relating to children, along with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in the specified fields–a condition that left very few eligible.
With no appointments made, the High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the matter, passed strong strictures against the Social Welfare Department and sought status reports multiple times, questioning the administration’s indifference to an issue of such public importance.
In the month of October last year, the Government once again initiated a fresh exercise by relaxing the eligibility norms in the hope of finally filling the long-pending positions. As per the revised criteria, candidates with Graduation in Management, Law, Psychology, Sociology/Social Work, or Education and 10 years’ experience are eligible to apply.
However, according to the sources, this new attempt also failed to yield the desirable results and the process ended up in cold storage. The latest reconstituted Selection Committee has been told to ensure that the procedure prescribed in J&K Child Rights Commission Rules, 2022 is followed while making recommendations of the candidates for the appointment of Chairperson and Members of the Commission.
Further, the Selection Committee will prepare e wait list of two persons for each of the posts which shall be valid for a period of three months.
“The absence of the Commission has crippled efforts to address violations of child rights and review policies impacting children in Jammu and Kashmir. Once established, the body is supposed to analyze laws, policies and practices, conduct inquiries, monitor child welfare programmes and ensure compliance with international child rights standards. It is also meant to have two zones-Jammu and Kashmir for better functional oversight”, sources said.
“But despite all this, years after the framing of rules and repeated promises, the Commission remains a non-starter”, sources said, adding “while the rest of the country has long-functional Child Rights Commissions, Jammu and Kashmir continues to lag behind, a glaring example of bureaucratic indifference and administrative inertia”.
As another fresh exercise begins, questions linger—Will this too meet the same fate as the last one-or will the Government finally act beyond paperwork and notifications?
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