Learner Guide: III

Lesson NEEDS AND RIGHTS

SUMMARY
India has made significant commitments towards ensuring the basic rights of children i.e.
right to survival, right to protection, right to development and right to participation. Despite
these rights, there are gaps in terms of unmet needs due to which children feel neglected,
unsafe, unprotected and vulnerable. One reason may be those children and even adults are not
aware of the needs and rights of children due to which they are not able to realize their
strength and right approach to deal with vulnerability around them. In this lesson you learnt
about the needs of children and government initiatives towards children’s rights.
NEEDS OF CHILDREN
Build Your Understanding

A need can be defined as something that is essential for a person to lead a healthy and
productive life.
There is a difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. The ‘wants’ may be desirable but
they are not essential for an individual.
Psychological Needs: Fulfilment of the above- immunisation, and opportunities for physical
mentioned psychological needs of children help activities and exercise.
develop a positive self-concept b) Age-appropriate gain in height and weight
indicates normal health of children.
a) Security, safety and protection: It is
c) Every child must be given a nutritional
essential that they grow up in an
supplement to avoid nutritional deficiencies
environment where they feel physically,
in diet.
psychologically and emotionally safe and
d) Medical check-up of all children is a must at
secure.
least once a year.
b) Love and affection: The need for love and
affection is the foundation for developing Play, Early Stimulation and Learning Needs:
healthy relations and establishing trust with An environment that is full of praise and
others. encouragement, opportunities to play, explore
Unmet needs of love and affection lead to and experiment helps children grow and learn.
maladjustment due to the inability to a) Paying provides children with an outlet for
connect emotionally with others. emotions.
c) Understanding and acceptance: A feeling b) It develops imagination, problem-solving,
of being valued boosts the confidence of decision-making skills, good relationships
children. and learns to care and share.
c) Free conservation, storytelling and rhymes
Need of Health and Nutrition Including contribute immensely in developing
Supplementary Nutrition: Foundation of good
language, creativity and imagination which
health is laid during the early years of life.
are essential for learning.
a) Physical health is influenced by many
factors, such as biology/ genes, and
environmental factors like nutrition,

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RIGHTS OF CHILDRENN
Build Your Understanding

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) - ‘children’s rights’ are the
human rights of children primarily pertaining to the rights of protection and care to the minor.
They are the minimum entitlements and freedom that should be accorded to all persons below
the age of 18 regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, wealth, birth
status or ability and therefore apply to all people everywhere.
INTER-RELATIONSHIP OF This Convention formulated the standards
CHILDREN’S NEEDS AND for physical, moral, mental, spiritual, and
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS social development of children.
All children have common needs
India adopted the convention in December
irrespective of their socio-economic and
1992.
cultural background which should be
fulfilled for their holistic development.
Right to Survival

RIGHTS OF CHILREN
Needs and 'rights' are mutually
interdependent. ‘Right’ is a recognition of
children’s entitlement to have their ‘needs’ Right to
fulfilled. Protection
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION Right to
ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Development
(UNCRC)
Right to
On 20 November 1989, the United Nations
Participation
(UN) General Assembly adopted United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNCRC).
GOVERNMENT ACTS AND PLANS TO ACHIEVE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Samagra Shiksha • Programme for the school education extending from preschool to
Abhiyan (SSA) – An class 12.
Integrated Scheme • Goal is to improve school effectiveness measured in terms of equal
for School opportunities for schooling to all children and equitable learning
Education, 2018 • Vision of the Scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education from pre-school to senior secondary stage synchronized
with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for Education
• Subsumes three schemes:
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
- Teacher Education (TE).

National Minimum • Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has released
Guidelines for National Minimum Guidelines for setting up and running crèches in
Setting up and 2018 under Maternity Benefit Act, 2017 mandating that “every

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Running Crèches establishment having 50 or more employees shall have the facility of
under Maternity crèche”
Benefit Act, 2017 • Aim - to facilitate the employer in establishing and managing crèche
facility for their employees having children mainly from 6 months to
6 years against key parameters.
The Maternity • Act has increased the duration of paid maternity leave available for
Benefit female employees from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
(Amendment) Act, • The amended Act has mandated crèche facility for every
2017 establishment employing 50 or more employees.
Child Labour • Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14
(Prohibition and years in hazardous occupations identified in a list by the law and to
Regulation) regulate the services of children in non-hazardous occupations.
Amendment Act, • Laying down penalties for employment of children in violation of the
2016 provisions of this Act
The Rights of • Act promotes and protects the right to equality, life with dignity and
Persons with respect for integrity equally with others in various aspects of life
Disabilities (RPWD) • The types of disabilities have been increased from seven (The
Act, 2016 Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995) to 21, with power to the Central
Government to add more
• Reservation in higher education (not less than 5%) and government
jobs (not less than 4%) have also been included.
National Plan of • Act committed to provide equal opportunities for all children and
Action for Children, protect their rights.
2016 • This plan intends to provide comprehensive policy focus to address
vulnerabilities of children - Survival, Health and Nutrition, Education
& Development, Protection and Participation
Beti Bachao Beti • Scheme was launched in 2015 to address gender imbalance and
Padhao Scheme, discrimination against the girl child.
2015 • Objectives are prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination,
ensuring survival and protection of the girl child, and ensuring
education and participation of the girl child.
• Joint venture of the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human
Resource Development.
The Juvenile Justice • Act creates a robust legal framework for the protection of the rights
(Care and Protection of all children whether alleged or found to be in conflict with law or
of Children) Act, children in need of care and protection, by catering to their basic
2015 needs through proper care, protection, development, treatment, social
re-integration, by adopting a child- friendly approach.
Protection of • Act was enacted by the Government of India to provide an extremely
Children from strong legal framework for the protection of children from offences

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Sexual Offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography
(POCSO) Act, 2012 • Provides safeguard to the interest of the child at every stage of the
judicial process, by incorporating child–friendly mechanisms for
reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and speedy trial of
offences through designated Special Courts.
Regulatory • Objectives of the guidelines are to bring inclusiveness and uniformity
Guidelines for in all educational institutions providing pre-school education, to
Private Play Schools prevent violation of child rights and abuse against children.
Right to Free and • The Constitution of India provides free and compulsory education to
Compulsory all children in the age group of six to 14 years.
Education Act • 'Free education' means that no child shall be liable to pay any kind of
(RTE), 2009 fee or charges or expenses.
• 'Compulsory education' means it is the responsibility of the
appropriate Government and local authorities to provide free
elementary education.
Integrated Child • ICPS brings together multiple existing child protection schemes of
Protection Scheme the Ministry under one comprehensive umbrella, and integrates
(ICPS), 2009 additional interventions for protecting children and preventing harm.
• The scheme set up a child protection data management system to
formulate and implement effective intervention strategies and
monitor their outcomes.
The Prohibition of • Act is to prohibit solemnization of child marriage and connected and
Child Marriage Act, incidental matters
2006
Pre-Conception & • Act was passed to stop female foeticide and control the declining sex
Pre-Natal Diagnostic ratio in the country.
Techniques Act, • The Act banned the use of sex selection techniques before and after
1994 conception

EVALUATE YOURSELF
Q1. Differentiate between wants and needs of a child. Being a child; describe what your needs
are and how these needs are associated with rights.
Q2. What do you understand about the term ‘Unmet needs of Child’? Observe your
surroundings and on the basis of your observation; describe how unmet needs impact the
development of children.
PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Write a report on ‘Government Policies and Plans’ formulated for the welfare and
development of children to ensure children’s rights.