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Padma Shri Prof. Shanta Sinha to Deliver UDL#20
February 21 @ 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The 20th University Distinguished Lecture, scheduled to be held on February 21, 2025, invites Padma Shri Prof. Shanta Sinha, Anti-Child Labour Activist, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, Former Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and professor (Retd.) Dept. of Political Science, Hyderabad Central University, as its keynote speaker. Prof. Sinha’s contributions towards children’s education and child rights have left an indelible mark on Indian society.
The esteemed session will be on the topic “Making Education a Reality and Ending Child Labour: Experience of M.V. Foundation.”
Participate and hear from the honourable personality. Prof. Sinha’s relentless dedication and inspiring journey will ignite all to strive towards a just and inclusive humankind!
Abstract
The lecture gives an overview of the work of M.V. Foundations in the field of child rights in India. Believing in the principle that ‘no child must work and every child must attend full-time formal day school’ as a non-negotiable, the M V Foundation (a Charitable Trust) has worked towards withdrawing over 10 lakh children in the 5-14 years age group from child labour; stopping over 20,000 child marriages and ensuring they finish 10th grade. The Foundation pioneered the program for mainstreaming children to schools through residential bridge courses. 1500 villages where MVF has intervened have achieved retention of 99% of all children in schools up to 10th class. The lecture would highlight the journey of the foundations, its experiences and achievements.
The lecture will further discuss the foundation and subsequent Journey of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which Prof. Shantha Sinha headed as its first Chairperson and led for two consecutive terms from 2007-2013. The lecture will highlight the issues addressed by NCPCR, ranging from violation of children’s rights in relation to child labour and child trafficking, rights of children in areas of civil unrest, children’s right to education, the juvenile justice system, corporal punishment, child abuse and violence on children; child malnutrition.
