Guwahati, Sep 9 (IANS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that the state government has taken a series of measures to strengthen the child protection system and plug regulatory gaps, with a focus on ensuring greater safety and care for children across the state.
In a post on social media platform X, Chief Minister Sarma noted that when it comes to children, there can be no gaps in protection and asserted that the state government has identified shortcomings in the existing system and acted to strengthen safeguards.
The Chief Minister said the state has notified the State Child Protection Policy and Juvenile Justice (JJ) Rules, 2026, describing the move as a key step towards creating a more robust child protection framework.
He said the state government has also made child safeguarding officers and staff screening mandatory, aimed at ensuring that personnel involved in the care and protection of children meet necessary safety standards.
The Chief Minister also added that the functioning of Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) and more than 10 statutory bodies has been streamlined as part of the state government's efforts to improve coordination and accountability within the child protection system.
According to CM Sarma, Individual Care Plans and home audits have also been institutionalised to ensure that the needs and safety of children are systematically assessed and monitored.
"Child safety cannot afford regulatory gaps," CM Sarma said, underlining the state government's approach towards strengthening institutional mechanisms for the protection of children.
The measures are aimed at creating a comprehensive child safeguarding framework covering prevention, institutional care, monitoring and rehabilitation, while ensuring that statutory bodies and personnel dealing with children follow stronger safeguards.
The Chief Minister said the state government has been working systematically to address shortcomings and strengthen every safeguard required to build a robust child protection system in Assam.
The latest measures come amid growing emphasis on strengthening mechanisms for child safety, accountability and welfare, particularly in institutions and systems responsible for children in need of care and protection.
The Assam government's new policy and rules are expected to provide a more structured framework for implementing child protection measures and improving oversight of institutions and officials responsible for safeguarding children.
(IANS)
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.