Delhi Govt's Callousness In Filling DCPCR Vacancies Can't Be Appreciated, Children Rights Take A Back Seat: High Court

The Delhi High Court on Monday said that the callousness on the part of the Delhi Government in filling up vacancies in the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) cannot be appreciated.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that due to the vacancies, functions of the child rights body were not being performed and it is the rights of minor children which take a back seat.

Observing that DCPCR performs certain important statutory functions to ensure protection of child rights, the Court said:

“However on account of vacancies such functions are not being performed as a result of which it is the rights of children which take a back seat. Such a situation resulted on account of callousness on part of the government, can't be appreciated.”

The Bench directed that the vacancies in the DCPCR have to be filled within a period of six weeks.

Furthermore, the Court also ordered that the selection process for the members of district child units (DCUs) be completed within eight weeks.

This was after the counsel appearing for the Delhi Government told Court that an advertisement was issued in December last year following which a screening committee has been constituted to look into the issue of vacancies in DCPCR. The counsel said that a list of all eligible candidates will soon be placed before the said committee.

The counsel further informed Court that regarding the DCUs, interviews of the candidates would be scheduled by end of this month.

The matter will now be heard in July.

Last year, a coordinate bench had directed the Delhi Government to complete the formalities of the selection process for filling vacancies in all the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) by April 15, 2024.

The bench has been hearing a suo motu public interest litigation initiated in 2018 after a ruling of the Supreme Court concerning the deficiencies in the implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

Another plea has been filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan seeking direction upon the Delhi Government to expeditiously fill the vacant positions of Chairpersons and Members in the CWCs in Delhi, within a fixed time.