Conditions in child protection homes sub-human: CJI

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Monday termed conditions in child protection or observation homes as ‘sub-human’ and said the government machinery needs to be sensitive towards the issue of trafficked and missing children. He assured judiciary's full support in ensuring justice for such children but said the responsibility of their rehabilitation rests with the government and use of technology was the only solution to deal with the problem of such a huge magnitude.

"Government machinery needs to be sensitive towards these children. Conditions in protection or observation homes are subhuman. Children are kept in objectionable and unhygienic conditions. The process of rehabilitation of these children is entirely with the government," he said during a programme organised here by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi-run NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

"Judiciary has always had its concern and will continue to do whatever we can do. Our commitment will remain the same despite the difficulties and regardless of the number of judges we have," the CJI said. "We are conscious of it and are sensitive towards it. Judiciary will always stand by the cause. Judiciary is just one of the limbs. Magnitude of the problem which we are facing today is so large that judiciary alone cannot do it," he said.