Author: Amrita Madhukalya
Publication: Hindustan Times
Date: October 31, 2019
URL:      https://m.hindustantimes.com/india-news/from-conversion-of-children-to-missing-school-buildings-ncpcr-s-tour-reveals-harsh-truths/story-
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People in Nagaland’s Kiphire district complained about a Navodaya school building that has existed only on paper for the last 13 years

Religious conversions in Kerala, non-existent school building in Nagaland and Tripura tribal students missing out on schooling were some of the 12,000 complaints received by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) during its ongoing tour of ‘aspirational districts’ in the country.

The child rights body has so far held grievance meetings at 35 of the 115 ‘aspirational districts’ identified by the Central think-tank, Niti Aayog.

In Kerala’s Wayanad, a local NGO claimed that missionaries were converting children and in a separate complaint, it was alleged that tribal children in the district were missing out on schooling. The NCPCR has asked the state administration to look into the matter.

People in Nagaland’s Kiphire district complained about a Navodaya school building that has existed only on paper for the last 13 years.

“The Jawahar Navodaya School, established in 2006, has been operating from a temporary shed. The girls’ dormitory doesn’t have a toilet inside,” said Priyank Kanungo, chairperson of the NCPCR. None of the schools in Kiphire district have even one science teacher, he added.

In Mamit district of Mizoram, the Reang community-- that had come all the way from Tripura to meet the commission-- said the tribal children in Tripura were attending special training institutes instead of regular schools.

“A local youth club had even done a survey on tribal children missing out on schooling,” said Kanungo.

Kanungo said the exercise was meant to help districts improve on the parameters identified by Niti Aayog and assess the status of NGOs registered with the Aayog.

“Some NGOs do not exist and some are not functioning,” he said.

In Jharkhand’s Dumka, the team was told about inaction by the child welfare committee in a case of rape of two minors, who delivered babies at a religious charity organization. The local SSP and the DGP have now been summoned by NCPCR.

NCPCR also ordered construction of an underpass in Aurangabad so that children in a village could safely cross a four-lane highway to reach school.