Children

Eldest, middle, or youngest: Does birth order shape who you finally become?

Does being the firstborn, middle child or youngest shape personality? Psychologists say effects are small, while culture, parenting styles and sibling roles matter far more

Rainbow Children's Hospital to add 900 beds, with half coming up in NCR

Rainbow Children's Hospital Group is accelerating its pan-India expansion with nearly 900 new beds planned over three years, half of which will come up in the NCR

Justice on hold for 50,000 kids as juvenile system strains: Report

A new India Justice Report says over 50,000 children in conflict with the law await case outcomes, with half pending before understaffed Juvenile Justice Boards, exposing major systemic gaps

NCPCR rescued 2,300 children across country in 6 months, says official

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has said that in the past six months, it disposed of around 26,000 cases and rescued more than 2,300 children across the country. Division head for Juvenile Justice, POCSO and special cells of NCPCR, Paresh Shah, however, said that child rights violations are not mere statistics and each case represents a story of a child and a family. Effective action by officials determines not only the lives of children but the future of the country, he said. Shah stated that both the Central and state governments are committed to safeguarding every child in Arunachal Pradesh, but stressed that strong laws alone are not enough without robust monitoring, awareness and coordinated enforcement. The assertion came during a state-level conference on gaps and challenges in the implementation of key child rights legislations held here recently. Child rights violations are not mere statistics, and each case represents a story of a child and

Aadhaar Card 2025: UIDAI gives free biometric update for children aged 7-15

The UIDAI with BIT, aims to make the Aadhaar biometric process simpler for children. The two crucial milestones at ages 5 & 15 when each child must refresh their fingerprints, iris scans & photo

Happy Children's Day 2025: History, significance & all about November 14

Children's Day honours children and their teachers; programs are held at schools to celebrate, or books are given as gifts. 'For Every Child, Every Right' is the Children's Day 2025 theme

Denmark govt mulls ban on social media access for children under 15

Denmark's government on Friday announced a political agreement to ban access to social media for anyone aged under 15. The move, led by the Ministry of Digitalisation, would set the age limit for access to social media but give some parents after a specific assessment the right to give consent to let their children access social media from age 13. Such a measure would be among the most sweeping steps yet by a European government to address concerns about the use of social media among teens and younger children. It would follow upon a move in December in Australia, where parliament enacted the world's first ban on social media for children setting the minimum age at 16. That made platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram subject to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (USD33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. As one of the first countries in the EU, Denmark is now taking a groundbreaking

England to teach school kids about fake news, AI in curriculum overhaul

In what is being dubbed as the biggest curriculum shake-up in a decade, pupils in England will be taught about identifying fake news and learn more about artificial intelligence as part of a UK government revitalisation drive for schools. Responding to the recommendations of a Curriculum and Assessment Review' by an academic on Wednesday, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed steps to ensure every young person is equipped with the knowledge and skills required over the next decades. The review also recommends cutting the overall volume of exams faced by teenagers by 10 per cent, with the current examination levels seen as "excessive". From the fundamentals of reading to the present danger of spotting fake news, as part of our Plan for Change, these landmark reforms will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve, said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. It has be

Mumbai police rescue 17 children in Powai hostage case, accused shot dead

Mumbai Police on Thursday rescued 19 persons including 17 children from a studio in Powai area while the man who had held them hostage succumbed to bullet injuries sustained during the operation, officials said. Rohit Arya, who had released a video statement during the hostage drama that went on for about an hour, was shot by police when he tried to harm the children with an air gun and later died at hospital, an official said. "All the children are safe," said Satyanaranyan, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). Arya had apparently called the children -- boys and girls around 15 years old -- for an audition for a web series, the official said. Besides an air gun, Arya was carrying some chemicals, he added. Initially, police did not mention that there had been a firing during the operation. Police received a call at about 1.45 pm about a man holding children hostage inside R A Studio in Mahavir Classic building, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade. Powai p

Diphtheria resurges in war-torn nations as health systems fail children

A Somali hospital ward packed with gasping children shows how war, climate and mistrust of vaccines is fueling the disease's return

Booker Prize charity launches new prize worth 50K pounds for children

The charity behind one of the world's most significant literary prizes on Friday announced a new 50,000-pounds Children's Booker Prize for fiction, to be selected by a combined panel of child and adult judges. The Booker Prize Foundation, behind the prestigious annual prize for fiction also worth 50,000 pounds, said the first edition of the children's award will open for nominations in 2026 to be awarded annually from 2027. It will celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. The Children's Booker Prize is the most ambitious endeavour we've embarked on in 20 years and we hope its impact will resonate for decades to come, Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation. It aims to be several things at once: an award that will champion future classics written for children; a social intervention designed to inspire more young people to read; and a seed from which

New study finds major decline in peanut allergies among young children

Doctors have long recommended that infants avoid peanuts. But in 2017, experts officially reversed that guidance, and food allergies decreased sharply

20 children from MP died so far due to contaminated cough syrup: Dy CM

Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla on Tuesday said a total of 20 children from the state have died so far while undergoing treatment for kidney failure after drinking a contaminated cough syrup. He said five children are currently being treated in Nagpur - two each in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and one in a private hospital. Earlier, the state government had confirmed the deaths of 16 children from Chhindwara who had allegedly consumed cough syrup Coldrif, samples of which were found to have toxic contents. Talking to reporters here after visiting the children undergoing treatment, Shukla said, "So far, 20 children from Madhya Pradesh have died while undergoing treatment...Two of them died in the past 24 hours." Describing the fatalities as extremely tragic, he said the MP government will extend all possible help to the affected families. The syrup responsible for the deaths was manufactured by

Cough syrup deaths: toll in MP's Chhindwara rises to 16 as 2 more kids die

Two more children from Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara who were undergoing treatment for kidney failure after drinking a contaminated cough syrup have died, taking the number of such deaths in the district to 16, an official said on Tuesday. "Today, the death of another girl was reported. So far, 16 children have died in the district," said Chhindwara Additional Collector Dhirendra Singh. Earlier, the state government had confirmed the deaths of 14 children from Chhindwara who had allegedly consumed the cough syrup Coldrif, samples of which were found to have toxic contents. Jayusha Yaduvanshi (2), a resident of Junnardeo in the district, died on Tuesday at a government hospital in Nagpur. Another six children from Chhindwara are undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Nagpur, and the condition of five of them remains critical, the additional collector said. Two-and-half-year-old Dhani Deharia, a resident of Bhariyadhana village in Tamia block, had died on Monday while undergoing

MP children deaths: Contaminant found in cough syrup made by TN firm

Contaminant found in Coldrif cough syrup; risk-based investigations started at manufacturing sites of around 19 drugs sampled across 6 states

Rajasthan health dept rules out govt cough syrup link in child deaths

The Rajasthan Health Department has clarified that the recent deaths of two children in Bharatpur and Sikar districts were not caused by cough syrup distributed under the state's free medicine scheme, according to an official statement. Public Health Director Ravi Prakash Sharma said inquiry reports confirmed that in both cases, the children were administered the syrup at home without a doctor's advice. As per protocol, Dextromethorphan (DXM) drug is not prescribed to children, Sharma said in the statement released on Thursday and added that in both incidents, the doctors had not prescribed the drug. Health Minister Gajendra Singh had earlier ordered a probe into the matter after reports of poor-quality cough syrup surfaced. Following the order, the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) halted the supply and use of the drug, formed a three-member inquiry committee and sent some samples for testing at the state drug laboratory. However, in another case from Sikar,

Low-cost interventions key to preventing drowning deaths in India: Expert

Drowning, often unreported and misunderstood, remains one of the leading causes of child mortality in India, and it is entirely preventable through simple and low-cost interventions, especially at the grassroots level, according to an expert at a top UK-based institute. Drowning is often categorised under unnatural deaths and not recognised by many governments as a serious issue, said Kate Eardley, Head of International Advocacy at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). India has played a key role in supporting the 2023 World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on drowning prevention, signalling an important shift at the global level, Eardley told PTI in a recent interaction during her first visit to the country. Drowning is still not recognised by many governments as a serious issue. It's often categorised under unnatural deaths' without acknowledging the scale or the solutions. But, drowning is preventable," she said. India has also introduced a national strategy on ...

Delhi CM Gupta meets children in the rain after maiden I-Day address

The rain at the Chhatrasal Stadium was relentless all morning on Friday, where Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta gave her maiden Independence Day speech; however, she took it in her stride, and post her address, met schoolchildren in the downpour, even waving away an umbrella offered by her security staff. Drenched but smiling, Gupta clicked photographs with the children and shook hands with parade participants and security personnel. "Everything is moving in the right direction with transparency and dedication. I have much more to share with you, but I can see the rain is getting heavier, and my young children are still seated bravely in it," she said. The chief minister also asked the crowd to applaud themselves and the parade participants for not taking cover during the event despite the heavy rain. The ceremony unfolded under heavy showers that tested the endurance of participants and spectators. A few members of the marching contingents lost consciousness after the parade and h

Kinder kids more likely to eat fruits, veggies as teens, study finds

A UK study tracking 6,200 kids for over a decade links prosocial behaviour to better eating habits, offering parents a new reason to raise kinder kids

Use of children in crimes calls for re-fixing age of juvenility: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said use of children by criminals to commit wide-ranging crimes had prompted the reconsideration of the juvenility age. Justice Girish Kathpalia made the observations while dismissing an anticipatory bail plea of a man accused of using a child in illicit liquor trafficking. The judge said far more serious than the illicit liquor trafficking was the child abuse in carrying out such crimes. "Over a period of time, it is being observed that criminals use children to commit wide ranging crimes, involving not just liquor and drugs peddling but also arms/ammunition and even acts of extreme violence, which is leading the society to consider re-fixing the age of juvenility. In my view, far more serious than the illicit liquor trafficking is the child abuse in carrying out such crimes," the court noted. In the case at hand, one Narender was booked on the directions of Juvenile Justice Board, when the juvenile in conflict with law was produced before it. Th