Every school in Delhi will conduct ‘good touch and bad touch’ awareness sessions this month as part of a city-wide campaign to strengthen child safety and awareness under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.Announcing the initiative on Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the month-long POCSO Awareness Month is aimed at making child protection measures a permanent part of school systems.“Delhi’s POCSO Awareness Month is more than an awareness drive. This July, every school in Delhi will conduct good touch and bad touch awareness sessions, implement mandatory child safety protocols, and submit compliance reports within 15 days,” Gupta said, according to PTI.
Child protection committees in all schools
The campaign will see child protection committees set up in all 5,633 schools across the national capital by the end of July. Teachers and school staff will also undergo training on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.According to an official statement cited by PTI, a student safety checklist prepared in line with guidelines issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the POCSO Act is being implemented across schools.The checklist covers 1,077 Delhi government schools, 198 government-aided schools, 2,612 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board schools, along with 1,746 private schools.
Police, counsellors and anganwadis to support campaign
Gupta said the campaign will be supported by parents, teachers, Delhi Police, district magistrates and anganwadi workers.Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellors (EVGCs) will conduct sessions on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation and personal boundaries, while students will also receive self-defence training. The Women and Child Development Department will organise awareness activities at anganwadi-cum-palna centres and child care institutions, PTI reported.
