A two-day consultative meeting with stakeof Kaval, a flagship initiative of the Women and Child Development department for community-based rehabilitation of children in conflict with law (CCL), concluded here on Thursday with a call for addressing challenges that have emerged in recent times such as increasing drug addiction, mobile phone addiction and rise in screen time, abuse within homes, and psychological issues among children.
The meeting, organised by the department in association with the UNICEF, was aimed at addressing challenges that have emerged in implementing the project at the grassroots. It underlined the need for revised standard operating procedure and guidelines for Kaval and better coordination between stakeholders.
Kaval was rolled out in three districts in 2016, and extended across the State by 2018.
The project has been rehabilitating and mainstreaming children who are in conflict with law through counselling, community service, skill-building, and other interventions, thus serving as an alternative to formal judicial proceedings.
Grassroot meetings
Women and Child Development Principal Secretary Sharmila Mary Joseph, who addressed the meeting, stressed the need for panchayat-level child protection and welfare committees to meet regularly so that children in need of support could be helped through Kaval, including psychological counselling to them and their families.
She also called for a more responsive education system. Teachers and fellow students should be able to support children experiencing problems so that they do not get into depression or end up in conflict with law, Ms. Joseph said.
Role of the police
One of the issues highlighted at the meeting was the need for better convergence with the police. Social background reports were not prepared by the police in cases that did not involve heinous offences, it was pointed out. Final reports were also not filed in many cases, though years may have elapsed and many of the children would have attained majority. This became a problem especially when they applied for passports to go abroad. Police clearance certificates too were not issued even if cases were disposed of and they were put under probation. This prevented children from getting a fresh start.
Kaval boards should also be put up in all police stations so that children and parents are aware of Kaval and the services provided under the scheme, especially legal services referral.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO) implementing Kaval said children involved in cases were expelled by schools or forced to take transfer certificates. This resulted in children developing a dislike for the system and discontinuing education. Schools did not know the procedures to be followed in case children came into conflict with law or take a decision after consulting the child protection system.
There was also a need to address the issue of children continuing to commit crimes despite interventions by Kaval. The NGO also called for preventive interventions so that vulnerable children did not end up in conflict with law.
The meeting also underlined the need for deaddiction centres exclusively for children.
