Bengaluru: A training workshop for officials appointed under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act was held in Bengaluru on November 6 to strengthen their understanding of child protection laws and adoption procedures.
The programme was organised jointly by the Directorate of Child Protection, district administration, Zilla Panchayat, Department of Women and Child Development and Bengaluru Urban (Central) District Child Protection Unit. It was conducted as part of the ‘Child Marriage-Free India’ campaign and International Adoption Month.
The workshop, held at the Dr B V Govindaswamy Centre Seminar Hall on the CIT campus, was inaugurated by N Janardhan, head of the Department of Psychiatry at NIMHANS, and Leena Kallammanavar, District Child Protection Officer.
Janardhan stressed the need for officials to have comprehensive knowledge of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, Juvenile Justice Act and adoption procedures. He also highlighted the importance of understanding children’s mental health and communicating sensitively while handling cases involving them.
Rohit C B, a police trainer at the CID office, explained the legal provisions of the child marriage prohibition law, the responsibilities of designated officers and the action required on receiving complaints.
Arundhati, deputy director of the Directorate of Child Protection, outlined procedures for adoption, foster care, relative adoption and step-parent adoption under the Adoption Regulations, 2022.
Officials from the Women and Child Development, Police, Labour and Health departments participated. They also took a pledge emphasising that legal adoption is the only appropriate route to parenthood through adoption.
