NHRC issues 21-point recommendation on missing children

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has released its report on missing children in the country where it has recommended measures like setting up of special squad in every police station to trace missing children, and establishing of a National Tracking System for locating those children from the grass-root level.

New Delhi, Aug 9 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has released its report on missing children in the country where it has recommended measures like setting up of special squad in every police station to trace missing children, and establishing of a National Tracking System for locating those children from the grass-root level.

In its 21-point recommendations that range from making the issue of missing children as a national priority to involving Panchayati Raj Institutions in tracking and maintaining a database of country's minors, the Commission calls for realistic plans of action so as to make protection of children a reality within a specific time frame.

"Investment in children's well-being and security is one such sine qua non," the Commission observed in its 45-page report.

It has also called for strengthening the special Cell for missing children in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which according to the report has not been able to give 'desired results' due to "lack of adequate resources".

While the Commission has recommended that reporting of all incidents of missing children be made mandatory across the country, it has also sought making the offence as cognizable one.

"As of now the issue of missing children is not a cognizable offence and the very fact of missing of a child does not convey occurrence of a crime," the report observed.

"The State Governments are advised to consider issue of appropriate directions to the law enforcement agencies to set a time limit of 15 days from the date of reporting that if a missing child is not traced back within 15 days, a presumption may be made of some malafide and an FIR registered with respect to all such issues of missing children," it recommended.

The Commission has also suggested that preliminary investigation of the missing children case should be 'outsourced' to NGOs and the State Governments should urgently revive State or District Crime Records Bureaus.

Stating that poverty is one of the main factors in pushing children into inhospitable conditions and making them vulnerable for exploitation, the Commission recommended poverty alleviation measures and issuance of Identity Cards to all children by the local administration.

"Schools and old teaching institutions should introduce photo identity cards of children, so that tracing is possible," the report stated.

The Commission has also urged the media to play an important role in increasing public awareness of missing children by including the category of missing children as a regular newsbeat.

The Commission prepared the report after taking suo motto cognizance after the horrendous Nithari episode came to light where scores of children were brutally killed by a servant.

"The phenomenon of missing children is not confined to Nithari or Uttar Pradesh alone. The Commission has come across media reports of similar incidents from other parts of the country as well," the ommission noted in its report and added: "The problem of missing children has thus become an issue of grave concern to the nation."

The five-member committee led by P C Sharma was constituted on February 12, 2007.

ANI