She speaks to Shruba Mukherjee of Deccan Herald about her concerns and priorities. Excerpts:

India is home to the largest number of malnourished children, bypassing even Sub-Saharan Africa. What will be the strategy of the NCPCR on this issue?
Lack of nutrition is the worst form of violation of a child’s rights. We want to have a series of consultations with experts from NGOs, government officials and nutrition experts. We actually want to see what is happening at the grassroots level. There are people who are successful in bringing about changes and we want to learn from their experience. Now, a programme on nutrition is under progress in Aurangabad. The NCPCR is seeking to map out the best practices on the basis of which we would submit our recommendations to the government.

Some states have formulated innovative schemes like in Tamil Nadu every pregnant woman is being given Rs 1,000 for six months by the government for her pre-natal and ante-natal check ups. We will also recommend universal coverage by the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) across the country, which takes care of the nutritional and immunisation requirements of children and would-be mothers.

You are quite vocal against child labour and in favour of sending each and every child to school.

There are more than 12 million children — under the age of 14 years — working in India according to the last census; supplying cheap, pliant and illegal labour in restaurants, fields, factories and private homes. But middle class people employ more of India’s child labourers than any other group, often as domestic helps. They are deluding themselves into thinking that they are doing good by giving jobs to children from destitute backgrounds.
They think that by giving leftover food, second-hand clothes and allowing them to watch television, they are taking care of children. But there is a double standard because they don’t take care of their own children like that.

Despite the ban on employing children as domestic labour, the problem persists. Do you think providing alternative livelihood for their families would be a solution? Or how can this be tackled?
What is lacking is a sense of moral indignation over child labour in our society. Until that sense comes in, almost every aspect of the Indian society would continue to depend on the exploitation of child labour.

We should recognise that every aspect of our lives is integral to a child’s exploitation. We couldn’t be sitting in this room if a child did not work in making the bricks. We couldn’t now have a tea party if a child does not work in cultivating wheat, rice and vegetables. The exploitation and vulnerability and drudgery of the child is so integral to our well-being.

What will be the role of NCPCR on this issue?
One of our first missions would be to try and create a sense of moral outrage over child labour. Don’t attend functions if you see children working there. Raise your voice, don’t feel shy saying: “It’s wrong for a child to be working”. I think we need to have the courage of conviction to say, ‘No’.