Juvenile Justice Board: Unveiling a new charter of Bhagidari Creating a Child-friendly Integrated Juvenile Justice System for protection of Child/Juvenile Rights at Prayas Observation Home for Boys, Delhi Gate

28 November 2007

Press Release

28th November 2007 is a historic day for Prayas Bhagidari programme of the Delhi Government, as another feather of being first has been added to its cap. Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre (JAC) is the first non- governmental organization which has been given the responsibility to run an Observation Home in Delhi by the Delhi Government. Today, on 28th of November 2007 the first of its kind Juvenile Justice Board in an Observation Home, run by any fit organization, is being inaugurated at the Prayas Observation Home for Boys, Delhi Gate, Ferozeshah Kotla. Prayas takes this opportunity to convey its appreciation to Department of Social Welfare and Department of Women and Child Development, Government of NCT Delhi for their active support in setting up of this Juvenile Justice Board.

Prayas charts its journey on the philanthropic path of Child Rights from a humble beginning in 1988 with 25 children and Prayas is now serving about 50,000 children in need of care and protection in Delhi and seven states/ union territories of Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Assam and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Having felt the need to provide holistic programmes for child protection and development , Prayas has been working with the deprived children by providing services of alternative education, vocational training, nutrition, clothing, shelter, medical care , intervention against exploitation, abuse and injustice besides creating rehabilitation programme for such neglected children for two decades now. Prayas has been instrumental in setting standards of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 in its wider sense and helped in creating various institutional and non-institutional services within the provisions of the Act in the NCT of Delhi and the States of Gujarat and Bihar.

In Delhi, Prayas is working with thousands of neglected children and juveniles while also running children/shelter homes for the children in need of care and protection and observation home for juveniles in conflict with law. Prayas has also proposed a model Juvenile Justice System for the state of Delhi.

At Prayas Observation Home for Boys, Prayas has taken care of more than 2,300 Juveniles in Conflict with Law since the Home is converted into Observation Home in July 2003. The present occupancy of this Home is of 101 juveniles.

It is inspiring that the second Juvenile Justice Board is being inaugurated in Delhi. Previously there was only one Juvenile Justice Board in Delhi, although the Act provides for at least one Juvenile Justice Board in each district, and the same was dispensing its obligations under tremendous pressure. More than 4,000 cases related to Juvenile in Conflict with Law are lying pending in the existing JJB. With the formation of this Juvenile Justice Board it is expected that the number of pending cases may decrease substantially and the cases will be disposed off adopting child- friendly approach and in the best interest of juvenile. It is said, justice delayed is justice denied. We hope that with the establishment of the second Juvenile Justice Board at Prayas Observation Home for Boys at Delhi Gate, cases against children will be disposed off faster and the dispensing of justice will be easier, accessible, in the best interests of juveniles in child friendly manner. Now the cases of the Juveniles of Prayas Observation Home for Boys will be heard within the premises it-self and this practice will herald a new Integrated Juvenile Justice system.

Prayas is indebted to the Hon’ble Delhi High Court for the Hon’ble Court’s pro-active involvement in the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection of Children) Act, 2000(amended in 2006), which involves the issue of ‘Inter-generational Equity’, under the guidance of Hon’ble the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, (Dr.) Mukundakam Sharma under the leadership of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan B. Lokur. We are also thankful to Shri R. Narayanswami, Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, for his gracious presence and support. Prayas is deeply grateful to the Secretary, Social Welfare, Shri Gynendra Srivastava and the team for active support and the speedy efforts of PWD for establishment of this Juvenile Justice Board .Last but not the least Prayas is thankful to Juvenile Justice Board, Kingsway Camp, all individuals, departments and non-governmental organizations which have played a constructive role in making this dream come true.