Leh, March 29: The District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Leh, in collaboration with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), on Saturday organised a one-day conference on child rights, bringing together educators, law enforcement officials and child welfare authorities to deliberate on strengthening protection mechanisms within educational spaces.
K.P.J. Gerald, Senior Consultant (ECL), NCPCR, attended as Chief Guest, while Advocate Shubhankar Choudhary, Consultant (Law Professional), participated as Special Speaker, offering legal perspectives on child protection frameworks.
Opening the proceedings, the Principal, DIET Leh, highlighted the role of educational institutions in upholding the rights and safety of children, and commended the participation of Physical Education Lecturers, Masters, Teachers and Health and Wellness Ambassadors from across Leh district. Provisions were also made for online participation from Kargil district to widen outreach.
The conference saw the participation of over 150 attendees, who engaged in deliberations on statutory safeguards, reporting mechanisms and institutional responsibilities concerning child welfare. Speakers emphasised the need for vigilance at the school level and greater coordination among agencies tasked with child protection.
Among the speakers were Dy. SP Padma Dorje; Tashi Dolma, Member, Child Welfare Committee; Mumtaj Hussain, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee; Abdul Rahim, Programme Manager, State Child Protection Society, UT Ladakh; Mohd Iqbal, ASI and SHO Nyoma; Mohd Safdar Bhat, District Child Protection Officer; Tsering Angchuk; Ishey Tashi, Member, Child Welfare Committee; and Manzoor Ali, ASI, Police Station Leh, who shared field-level insights and outlined measures for effective implementation of child protection policies.
A focused session on judicial perspectives was delivered by Advocate Iasey Lamo, who elaborated on existing legal safeguards and stressed the obligation of institutions to ensure compliance with child protection laws.
Discussions during the conference centred on early identification of vulnerable children, strengthening reporting protocols, and fostering inter-departmental coordination to address cases efficiently. Participants also underscored the importance of awareness among educators and frontline workers in preventing violations of child rights.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Tsering Tundup, Senior Lecturer and Programme Coordinator, who called for sustained engagement and collective responsibility to reinforce child protection systems across the region.
