Right to Survival, Right to Development, Right to Protection and Right to Participation are the child rights.

Brilliant Girls

Railway Children, India and SEVAI a Trichy based NGO, SEVAI in collaboration with Railway authorities have been undertaken CCRS-Care of Children in Railway Stations in Trichirapalli. In the staff review meeting on Saturday, Oct.27, K.Govindaraju,Director SEVAI shared , “There is a need to protect the children who run away from abusive situations at home or are lost and reach railway platforms, as they are extremely vulnerable to abuse by strangers thus needs child protection at railway stations become important. It is estimated that every five minutes, a child arrives alone at a railway station in India. These children are vulnerable and exposed to several risks. It is, therefore, important to strengthen the existing child protection mechanisms at the railway stations. Child rights are special Human rights which are applicable only to children. Child rights go beyond just human rights, which exist to ensure fair and proper treatment of people across the world, and promote their well-being. Children, defined as any person under the age of 18, need more than just human rights due to a set of unique needs

stemming from their vulnerabilities. The United Nations Convention defines a ‘child’ as a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger. Biologically, a ‘child’ is defined as a human being between the stages of birth and puberty. Legally, a child is referred to as a human being between birth and the age he/she attains majority. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a legally-binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion or abilities these rights can broadly be classified into four major types: Right to Survival – to life, health, nutrition, name, nationality, Right to Development – to education, care, leisure, recreation, cultural activities, Right to Protection – from exploitation, abuse, neglect and Right to Participation – to expression, information, thought, religion. All children have the same right to develop their potential in all situations and at all times with equal access to education regardless of the child's gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, parentage, sexual orientation or other status. UNICEF considers child protection as the prevention of or responding to the incidence of abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect of children. This includes commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Protection also allows children to have access to their other rights of survival, development, growth and participation. Child Protection is more than a right. It is system which needs the support of concerned departments of the government, police, school, civil society, who all have roles to play to ensure that a child's rights are met, and in the case that a child's rights are violated that the violator be brought to justice and care be provided to the child. Child protection is not only treatment, but should also be preventive. Risk management needs to take place to reduce the risk of violation of child rights in any given circumstance or space. Child protection is hence the means through which all other rights of a child can be upheld. A child has a right to live a normal childhood in a family environment to survive with better health, education, and food. Protection from violence extends even to family members, and children must not suffer ill-treatment or sexual or physical violence. This includes use of violence as a means of discipline. All

Innocent Boys

forms of sexual exploitation and abuse are unacceptable for children. Rights of children are to participate in activities of the society, especially matters that may affect their life, to assemble peacefully and to join associations. Children's rights includes their right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child's civil rights, and freedom”.Mr.Jerome,FO-Railway Children insisted that all SEVAI-RCI Project functionaries need to strictly follow the Job Description and discharge their duties for achieving CCRS project a great benefit for the benefit of the children in need.-Kris