Child protection schemes like the POCSO Act and 24×7 children helpline numbers are now being published on the inside of the front cover of all the course books from class 6-12, according to Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry.
Published by the National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT), the step is taken to equip the children with the information regarding the possible modes of protection and complaints.
In 2017, the WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi had requested Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar and NCERT to popularise POCSO e-Box and Childline 1098 through NCERT publications, screening of educational films on child sexual abuse in the schools and having strict norms for employing the support staff.
After the step was taken, Gandhi thanked Javadekar and NCERT for implementing her suggestion. She added that the parents, guardians, and teachers should remain vigilant about the children as well as their behaviour and any suspected situation should be reported immediately on the Childline No 1098 and the POCSO e-Box.
According to the WCD ministry, through these course books, the information is expected to reach approximately 26 crores school students and more than 10 lakh teachers in around 15 lakh schools.
