J&K | Child Welfare Committee Bars Interviews, Filming Of Children Under 18
SRINAGAR, Jul 2: No child below the age of 18 years shall be interviewed, filmed or recorded in a manner that compromises the child's privacy, dignity or safety, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Srinagar, said in an advisory. The advisory...
SRINAGAR, Jul 2: No child below the age of 18 years shall be interviewed, filmed or recorded in a manner that compromises the child's privacy, dignity or safety, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Srinagar, said in an advisory.
The advisory issued on Thursday follows a recent incident in which a school-going child was interviewed outside school premises, and the video was later circulated on social media, exposing the child to widespread public scrutiny and potential psychological, emotional and social harm.
The CWC has already summoned a local news portal over the video of a minor student criticising Jammu and Kashmir’s Education Minister Sakina Itoo over the delay in the announcement of summer vacation.
The Committee advisory said that children constitute a vulnerable class requiring special care and protection and stressed that all interactions with them must be guided by their best interests.
Referring to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Guidelines on Media Reporting on Children, it said interviews with children should ordinarily be conducted only with the informed consent of parents or legal guardians and, wherever applicable, the competent authority.
“No child below the age of 18 years shall be interviewed, filmed or recorded in a manner that compromises the child's privacy, dignity, safety or best interests,” the advisory read.
The advisory also prohibited journalists, vloggers and other content creators from approaching or interviewing school-going children in or around educational institutions without obtaining informed consent from parents and the concerned school authorities. It further cautioned against encouraging children to make statements on political, legal or other sensitive matters that could expose them to public criticism, online abuse, intimidation or emotional harm.
The Committee directed educational institutions to sensitise students, parents and staff about safe interaction with media and digital platforms and immediately report any unauthorised media engagement involving children to the CWC and law enforcement agencies.
It warned that violations affecting the rights, welfare and well-being of children would be referred to the Cyber Police or other competent authorities for appropriate legal action, including removal of objectionable digital content wherever permissible under law. The circular has come into force with immediate effect.
