Ensure tracking, rescuing, rehabilitation of all out-of-school children: NPAC 2016
The revised draft of National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC-2016) with the slogan "Putting the Last Child First" has been made public. The document considers individuals up to the age of 18 as children and suggested a comprehensive plan of action for reaching out the children of country living in difficult situations.
Another subjective is to priorities education for
disadvantaged groups with Strategies such as Scholarship; special
assistance schemes and residential Schools for
SC/ST/Minority/Disabled Children; vocational training services; Disha
or early intervention and school readiness scheme; Vikaas day care
scheme; and Samarth respite care scheme to provide respite home for
orphans, families in crisis, Persons with Disabilities from BPL, LIG
families.
Reacting to the ever changing governmental policy
documents and action plans, which are marred by the 'policy-practice
gulfs' Dr. OP Kulheri of CULP-NGO said, "Our experiences and
tracking survey results in Banswara tribal district of Rajasthan
reveal that about 10% of population in the district is afflicted with
disabilities as compared to 2% national average. Despite this,
neither the parents and nor officials are concerned about making
provisions in the Right to Education Act, Child Protection Laws,
policy documents, national action plans, financial provisions, etc.,
due to apathy and insensitivity prevalent among the implementers.
With the new policy, there is a need to sensitize, orient, and train
the implementers with a follow-up action to bridge the
policy-practice gaps."
Malnuitrition among tribal children, especially
among girls is severe, as per the case studies done by CULP. Tribal
habitation is small and dispersed and outreach programmes are
available for children and they often get treated by quacks worsening
their health situation, added Kulheri.
There is need to get the new policy documents
transacted properly at the levels of implements and prepare them for
new roles and function with accountability, he suggested.