NHRC seeks govt response on technology being used to trace missing children

The NHRC has issued notice to the Union some secretary and the Ministry of Women and Child Development secretary seeking to know what technology is being used to trace missing children and unite them with their families.

The commission has taken serious note of a media report on the issue of a large number of missing children across the country, the existing legal frame work and gaps in the technology for tracing them.

"The Commission has observed that the proper use of technology with zeal can reunite the missing children with their families," the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

The Union home secretary and the WCD secretary have been asked to give their comments in the matter along with the status of the initiatives taken including the portals developed by them by specifically mentioning whether the tools like 'Facial Recognition Software' have been added to match the records of the 'missing' and 'found' children, it said.

The panel has also asked them to inform whether the guidelines on missing children have been circulated and are being followed by the agencies concerned or not. It has sought their response within six weeks.

Post Nithari incident, the NHRC had formed a committee of experts in 2007 to examine the problem of missing children, the statement said.

Their report underscored that both the central and the state governments have to ensure realistic plans of action so as to make protection of children a reality within a specific time frame.

The report also emphasised that it would require massive mobilisation of resources, strong political commitment and decentralised planning and management structure, including radical reforms in social services administration for efficient delivery of services.