SC asks Centre to fill up vacancies 'expeditiously' in NCPCR

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to "expeditiously" fill up the vacancies, including the post of Chairperson, in the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) for effectively dealing with issues like missing children in the country.
"The Ministry shall take steps to fill up the vacancies (in NCPCR) expeditiously," the social justice bench comprising justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit said.
The court also took exception to the affidavit of the Women and Child Development Ministry which was filed in pursuance of slew of directions issued by it earlier.
"This is shoddy. You file another affidavit," the bench told Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh who was appearing for the Centre.

The bench, which was hearing a PIL filed by NGO 'Bachpan Bachao Aandolan (BBA)' on missing of children across the country, however, expressed happiness over the quality of websites meant for tracking missing children.
"With regard to the website, we say that a good work has been done," it said.

The bench also stressed the need of imparting proper training to policemen by the respective state police training academies for sensitising them towards the needs of the children.
It said that for the purposes of imparting training to cops the National Police Academy needs to "work out the modalities' as "there is no point in having a Child Welfare Officer with a mere designation..."

The court has now sought details from the Centre and others by April 10.
A report, submitted by the ASG in the court today, said that 26 states and Union Territories have constituted advisory committees under the Juvenile Justice Act.
It further said that 13 state advisory committees have held their meetings.
The report, complied by the central Women and Child Development Ministry, has provided the details of steps taken by various state governments in pursuance of the court's directions.