Situation in Delhi might be improving in terms of recovered cases and death rates lately, but education sector continues to bear the brunt of the pandemic. Child rights experience major problems in four significant areas: child Labour, homelessness, reversal of progress in child healthcare, and school drop-outs—which are going to get compounded over time,

 Anurag Kundu, Chairman Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights says the government must address these allied challenges. International labour organization believes that many children are at risk of being pushed into child labour and it has already started to happen, not just in Delhi but in all cosmopolitan areas.

 Secondly, as people lose their jobs homelessness increases rapidly in Delhi manifesting poverty. Little children in these families have a bleak hope to feed themselves, let alone education.

 Another challenge pointed out relates to healthcare. As the pandemic engulfs the nation healthcare facilities divert from its “core” functions. Thus neglecting pregnancy care and immunisation of children to diseases such as tuberculosis – where minimal progress was made. The last challenge points at school attendance as kids (majorly boys) remain absent to assist their families, drowning themselves at the hands of child labour.

Anurag Kundu towards a new approach 

School attendance remains the strongest indicator of child’s involvement in studies. If less than 33% Kundu insists on steps like a call to the family, visit to the home, conversation with a counsellor for timely interventions.

During his time as chairperson he attempts to install a major change towards the approach to address child right’s issues “If we take the case of POCSO, so far our approach has been that every time a sexual assault is reported we try to make sure the accused is charge sheeted...are conciliation Between the criminal justice system and the restorative justice system will be a focus point during my tenure. This will involve financial compensation to the survivor, emotional and mental well-being of the child, education integration of the child back to school, and medical needs of the child over time... We have now started a review of all sexual assault cases that have come to the commission over the last three odd years. It’s an approach — it is applicable to cases of POCSO, child labour and elsewhere.”