31 candidates in race for 6 MCPCR posts
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 17 2016:
For the post of six members of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) which lie vacant since November 11 last year, altogether 31 candidates have applied for appointment.
Out of the six seats, two are reserved for women.
In recent time the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights enquired about the existing position of the State commission about the vacancies, and the date of retirement of the incumbent Chairperson, informed a source.
As per Section 17 (2) of Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, the chairperson should be a person of eminence who had done outstanding works for promoting welfare of children.
The six members should be appointed from amongst persons of eminence, ability, integrity, and experience in terms of education, child health, care, welfare or child development, juvenile justice or care of neglected or marginalized children or children with disabilities, elimination of child labour or children in distress, child psychology or sociology and laws relating to children.
A child rights activist of the State opined that the Commission members should be selected from amongst the persons possessing the prescribed requisite qualities and preference should be given to persons who are knowledgeable, capable devoting full time and genuinely committed to the cause of child rights, after examining their past records and present responsibilities in the field of child protection.
Candidates who are government employees, already preoccupied with their own occupations, having little time for commission's works and non locals who do not know local language and issues of Manipur should not be considered.
However such flaws were evident in the last tenure as a Government employee and a non local who had little knowledge of local language and issues were among the six selected members.
The Child Rights activist further lamented that the Commission's official status has been kept in dark as the State government is still reluctant to announce the "Warrant of Precedence" of the Chairperson and Members of the commission, though a few States have already given chairperson and members of their State commissions the official status equivalent to State's Chief secretary and Secretary's posts respectively.
Besides, the service of the Secretary of the Commission remained almost inaccessible as the concerned MCS officer never attended the office of the commission, but sits only in the State secretariat since she has been designated to the post.