The State Child Right Protection Commission is organising the second session of the Children’s Assembly in Dehradun for two days on November 13 and 14 in conjunction with Sri Bhuvaneswari Women Ashram-Plan India to mark the Children’s Day to be observed across the country on Friday. The chairperson of the Commission Ajoy Setia inaugurated the session on Thursday. The Speaker of the Uttarakhand State legislative Assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal would inaugurate the second and the final day of the session on Friday. The Chief Minister, Harish Rawat would be present during the evening session on Friday as the chief guest.
It is learnt that the selection of the child legislator was done with new methods. Each of them was selected from three government schools and one private school from each of the State’s 13 districts. From every district, two were selected from Class-IX and two from Class-XI. The girls were given equal representation with the boys in the selection. The strength of the Children Assembly was kept the same as that of the State’s legislature Assembly-70. Fifty two of them were selected straight from the schools while the rest 18 from the non-governmental organisations. The same gender equality was followed in regards to each kind of selection. The number of the boys and girls participating in the Children Assembly is 35 each.
All thus selected would remain in the Children Assembly till they reach 18. They are expected to be on guard regarding the rights of the children in their respective areas. Their special focus would be trained on the educational rights and norms. The chief minister and the speaker of the last session held on the Republic Day on 26 January are taking part in this session too. However, as the chief minister is now 18 the legislators elected the new chief minister and other members of cabinet on Thursday.
Several committees were constituted on matters like compulsory education, sexual assault on the children, child labour and the like. Such committees would deliberate on them and firm up resolutions. These would be discussed in course of the assembly and would be passed accordingly.