Convention on the rights of the child : country report country report India

With India's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 2 December 1992, over 90 per cent of the world's children have come within the ambit of this most widely ratified human rights convention in history. This Convention is not a philosophical paradigm nor is it a statement of aspirational goals to be achieved over decades. At least for us in india, it represents a commitment to provide to our children a first call on our resources. Our National Plan of Action which has been formulated as an action statement of pro-child development strategies to implement the provisions of the CRC sets out quantifiable time dimensions to India's Charter of Action for Children by 2000 A.D. We also stand fully committed to achieving the 27 survival and development goals laid down by the World Summit on Children.

The Convention is derived from a core set of human values and ethical promises based on the inherent dignity and equal inalienable rights of all humanity including its children. To a large extent, the Convention reiterates and elaborates principles enshrined in the Constitution of India. By ratifying the Convention, the Government and the people of India have renewed their commitment to children.

This document prepared by the Child Welfare Division in the Department of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development gives an overview of the historical perspective of the Rights of the Child and reviews the situation of children in India with reference to the articles of the Convention. This document is an outcome of wide consultations with the concerned Ministries/Departments in the Central Government, State Governments, NGOs, experts and the UNICEF Country Office.

This initial country report on the implementation of the CRC, I believe, will set the tone for rapid developments to build a conducive and joyful environment for the child.