Cuttack, Odisha | May 5, 2025 — In a significant step towards strengthening grassroots child protection mechanisms, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO), in collaboration with its flagship community engagement initiative Project Kutumb, successfully conducted the launch cum orientation program for Community Level Child Protection Committees (CLCPCs) on May 5, 2025, at Brajabeharipur (Talasahi), Cuttack. The CLCPC were launched in the presence of the Mayor of Cuttack Municipality, Subhas Chandra Singh, District Child Protection Officer, Pragati Mohanty, Corporator of Ward No 3, Pradeep Rout and NLUO Vice Chancellor Professor Ved Kumari. Project KUTUMB is led by Dr Akshay Verma from NLUO and Dr Swagatika Samal from NLUO CCR and supported by Durbadala Mantry, Kanishka, Vijay Bhaskar, Dr Pradipta Sarangi, Amulya Swain, Ankit Kumar Keshri and Prof Biraj Swain NLUO.

The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children. The event aimed to formally establish the CLCPC for the neighbouring settlements and to sensitize and train its members—comprising key stakeholders such as local youth groups, Self Help Groups (SHGs), school teachers, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), parents and caregivers, community leaders, elected representatives—on their roles and responsibilities in ensuring children’s rights, protection and overall well-being.

Project Kutumb, launched in August 2022, is NLUO’s flagship outreach programme, implemented with the shared leadership of the CCR. It seeks to holistically transform adopted settlements into aspirational communities with active citizenship and responsive state mechanisms. The project takes a rights-based and community-driven approach by empowering families, children and local institutions to take an active role in child protection. It is being implemented in Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Baba Tilkanagar, Valmiki Nagar.

The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Mission Vatsalya mandate of Government of India, which advocates for decentralized and community-led mechanisms to protect children in need of care and protection. Through a combination of awareness-building, capacity enhancement, needs assessment, and vulnerability mapping, Project Kutumb, aims to establish sustainable, locally lead child protection systems with long-term impact.

Founded in 2015, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) is the oldest research, teaching and advocacy center at National Law University Odisha. It is also the second oldest CCR in any NLU in India and the only Chair Professorship on Child Rights in India (Law or non Law Universities included), thanks to the efforts of the Vice Chancellor Prof Ved Kumari. The CCR is committed to advancing child rights through teaching, legal research, policy advocacy, training and community engagement. As one of the key actors of Project Kutumb, CCR has conducted extensive vulnerability mapping and needs assessments in the adopted settlements to ensure that interventions are data-driven and need-sensitive, keep the best interests of the children front and centre. This is per the NITI Ayog mandated indicators.

CLCPC serves as the grassroots mechanisms for monitoring child rights violations, responding to abuse or exploitation and promoting children’s safety through community participation. The CLCPCs with their members and mandates were launched at the event. This is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which India is a signatory to, and it marks the 10th anniversary of SDGs this year.

During the orientation program, members of the newly formed CLCPC were introduced to key child protection issues prevalent in their settlement, about children’s rights, existing legal safeguards and services, reporting mechanisms and the responsibilities expected of them as community protectors which include identifying at-risk children, ensuring access to government welfare schemes, reporting violations and fostering a child-sensitive environment.

Subash Chandra Singh, Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, underscored the municipality’s commitment and support for child rights initiatives. Commending the efforts of the community members, NLUO and Project Kutumb, he said: “Inspite of the progressive laws, courts and institutions, there are so many children missing, trafficked. This needs the commitment of the state, citizens and the society to reintegrate children back to their family. The state of the child is the metric of the society and its imagination of the future. Not a single child should drop out of education. No child should be harnessed into child labour because of the poverty of the family members. No settlements/habitats should have liquor shops. Excise duty from liquor should never compete with child welfare. That is not a trade-off we can afford. Every child in conflict with law is a child whose rights have been violated, a child whose need for care and protection has been neglected, hence child protection is of immense importance.”

Pradeep Rout, Corporator of Ward No 3, expressed appreciation for the initiative. He committed his own leadership for the issue of child protection and acknowledged the collaboration and leadership of NLUO and pledged to work closely with the community members, CLCPC members and NLUO to transform the Ward No 3 into a child friendly community.

The participation of local leaders highlighted the growing recognition of child protection as an essential component of development and as a shared responsibility. The presence of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), ASHA and Anganwadi workers, school staff, and Self Help Group (SHG) members added strength to the diverse, community-rooted approach envisioned by Project Kutumb. The community members of Brajabeharipur Tala Sahi voluntarily contributed infrastructural and electrical accessories as a mark of their ownership and commitment to child protection.

Regular review meetings, refresher training programs, linkages with Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and feedback mechanisms have been planned to ensure the CLCPCs remains active and effective foregrounding children, their voice, agency, safety and progress.

In this context, the Vice-Chancellor of NLUO, Prof Ved Kumari, who conceptualised Project Kutumb, noted that substantive progress in child protection is possible only when there is consistent collaboration between community and the state instruments and children have a voice and agency in shaping their own and their community’s futures. She further added, “It is the responsibility of premier educational institutions to contribute to the life and aspirations of the society, especially the neighbourhoods around them. NLUO is not just an institution to churn out legal professionals, NLUO is also committed to the agenda of justice and enabling the under-privileged children and communities in the neighbourhood for better lives and life-chances, is a core ambition of KUTUMB and NLUO. Children need to be listened to, not just be made members in planning committees pro forma. The inter-generational dialogue, the conversations between children and the elders need to happen meaningfully.”

The CLCPC will be the first port of call, the platform for community and the state child protection machinery, ensuring timely reporting, service delivery and grievance redressal. Highlighting the importance of this critical link in safeguarding children from adverse experiences, Pragati Mohanty, the District Child Protection Officer, Cuttack said, it is as much the responsibility of the parents, society and the elected representatives.

Towards this goal, as the CLCPC begins functioning in the settlements of Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Valmiki Nagar and Baba Tilkanagar. NLUO’s CCR and Project Kutumb will continue to provide technical and institutional support, enabling members to make their communities child friendly where every child is protected and thrives.

For further infor

Cuttack, Odisha | May 5, 2025 — In a significant step towards strengthening grassroots child protection mechanisms, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO), in collaboration with its flagship community engagement initiative Project Kutumb, successfully conducted the launch cum orientation program for Community Level Child Protection Committees (CLCPCs) on May 5, 2025, at Brajabeharipur (Talasahi), Cuttack. The CLCPC were launched in the presence of the Mayor of Cuttack Municipality, Subhas Chandra Singh, District Child Protection Officer, Pragati Mohanty, Corporator of Ward No 3, Pradeep Rout and NLUO Vice Chancellor Professor Ved Kumari. Project KUTUMB is led by Dr Akshay Verma from NLUO and Dr Swagatika Samal from NLUO CCR and supported by Durbadala Mantry, Kanishka, Vijay Bhaskar, Dr Pradipta Sarangi, Amulya Swain, Ankit Kumar Keshri and Prof Biraj Swain NLUO.

The orientation program is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating Child-Friendly Communities, and it marks a milestone in Project Kutumb’s mission to foster safer environments for vulnerable and at-risk children. The event aimed to formally establish the CLCPC for the neighbouring settlements and to sensitize and train its members—comprising key stakeholders such as local youth groups, Self Help Groups (SHGs), school teachers, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), parents and caregivers, community leaders, elected representatives—on their roles and responsibilities in ensuring children’s rights, protection and overall well-being.

Project Kutumb, launched in August 2022, is NLUO’s flagship outreach programme, implemented with the shared leadership of the CCR. It seeks to holistically transform adopted settlements into aspirational communities with active citizenship and responsive state mechanisms. The project takes a rights-based and community-driven approach by empowering families, children and local institutions to take an active role in child protection. It is being implemented in Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Baba Tilkanagar, Valmiki Nagar.

The initiative aligns with the objectives of the Mission Vatsalya mandate of Government of India, which advocates for decentralized and community-led mechanisms to protect children in need of care and protection. Through a combination of awareness-building, capacity enhancement, needs assessment, and vulnerability mapping, Project Kutumb, aims to establish sustainable, locally lead child protection systems with long-term impact.

Founded in 2015, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) is the oldest research, teaching and advocacy center at National Law University Odisha. It is also the second oldest CCR in any NLU in India and the only Chair Professorship on Child Rights in India (Law or non Law Universities included), thanks to the efforts of the Vice Chancellor Prof Ved Kumari. The CCR is committed to advancing child rights through teaching, legal research, policy advocacy, training and community engagement. As one of the key actors of Project Kutumb, CCR has conducted extensive vulnerability mapping and needs assessments in the adopted settlements to ensure that interventions are data-driven and need-sensitive, keep the best interests of the children front and centre. This is per the NITI Ayog mandated indicators.

CLCPC serves as the grassroots mechanisms for monitoring child rights violations, responding to abuse or exploitation and promoting children’s safety through community participation. The CLCPCs with their members and mandates were launched at the event. This is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which India is a signatory to, and it marks the 10th anniversary of SDGs this year.

During the orientation program, members of the newly formed CLCPC were introduced to key child protection issues prevalent in their settlement, about children’s rights, existing legal safeguards and services, reporting mechanisms and the responsibilities expected of them as community protectors which include identifying at-risk children, ensuring access to government welfare schemes, reporting violations and fostering a child-sensitive environment.

Subash Chandra Singh, Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation, underscored the municipality’s commitment and support for child rights initiatives. Commending the efforts of the community members, NLUO and Project Kutumb, he said: “Inspite of the progressive laws, courts and institutions, there are so many children missing, trafficked. This needs the commitment of the state, citizens and the society to reintegrate children back to their family. The state of the child is the metric of the society and its imagination of the future. Not a single child should drop out of education. No child should be harnessed into child labour because of the poverty of the family members. No settlements/habitats should have liquor shops. Excise duty from liquor should never compete with child welfare. That is not a trade-off we can afford. Every child in conflict with law is a child whose rights have been violated, a child whose need for care and protection has been neglected, hence child protection is of immense importance.”

Pradeep Rout, Corporator of Ward No 3, expressed appreciation for the initiative. He committed his own leadership for the issue of child protection and acknowledged the collaboration and leadership of NLUO and pledged to work closely with the community members, CLCPC members and NLUO to transform the Ward No 3 into a child friendly community.

The participation of local leaders highlighted the growing recognition of child protection as an essential component of development and as a shared responsibility. The presence of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), ASHA and Anganwadi workers, school staff, and Self Help Group (SHG) members added strength to the diverse, community-rooted approach envisioned by Project Kutumb. The community members of Brajabeharipur Tala Sahi voluntarily contributed infrastructural and electrical accessories as a mark of their ownership and commitment to child protection.

Regular review meetings, refresher training programs, linkages with Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and feedback mechanisms have been planned to ensure the CLCPCs remains active and effective foregrounding children, their voice, agency, safety and progress.

In this context, the Vice-Chancellor of NLUO, Prof Ved Kumari, who conceptualised Project Kutumb, noted that substantive progress in child protection is possible only when there is consistent collaboration between community and the state instruments and children have a voice and agency in shaping their own and their community’s futures. She further added, “It is the responsibility of premier educational institutions to contribute to the life and aspirations of the society, especially the neighbourhoods around them. NLUO is not just an institution to churn out legal professionals, NLUO is also committed to the agenda of justice and enabling the under-privileged children and communities in the neighbourhood for better lives and life-chances, is a core ambition of KUTUMB and NLUO. Children need to be listened to, not just be made members in planning committees pro forma. The inter-generational dialogue, the conversations between children and the elders need to happen meaningfully.”

The CLCPC will be the first port of call, the platform for community and the state child protection machinery, ensuring timely reporting, service delivery and grievance redressal. Highlighting the importance of this critical link in safeguarding children from adverse experiences, Pragati Mohanty, the District Child Protection Officer, Cuttack said, it is as much the responsibility of the parents, society and the elected representatives.

Towards this goal, as the CLCPC begins functioning in the settlements of Braja Beharipur (Upara Sahi and Tala Sahi), Valmiki Nagar and Baba Tilkanagar. NLUO’s CCR and Project Kutumb will continue to provide technical and institutional support, enabling members to make their communities child friendly where every child is protected and thrives.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Swagatika Samal: swagatika@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9439872656

Dubadala Mantry: d.mantry@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9692004909
Centre for Child Rights (CCR) and Project KUTUMB
National Law University Odisha (NLUO)

mation, please contact:

Dr Swagatika Samal: swagatika@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9439872656

Dubadala Mantry: d.mantry@nluo.ac.in Mob: 9692004909
Centre for Child Rights (CCR) and Project KUTUMB
National Law University Odisha (NLUO)

National Law University Odisha (NLUO) and the Mary Anne Charity Trust (MACT), Chennai, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop, localize, and implement the Tobacco Monitor Mobile Application in the state of Odisha. MACT, registered under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882, is committed to human rights in the areas of environment and health. It is known for its work on the Tobacco Monitor App and multilingual outreach. This collaborative initiative aims to bolster tobacco control efforts through digital innovation, effective information dissemination, and community engagement. The collaboration is part of the Project Tobacco Control Initiatives undertaken by NLUO.

Under this MoU, NLUO will partner with MACT to adapt and translate the Tobacco Monitor App into Odia for the state of Odisha. This will ensure accessibility for local users and maximize its reach and impact across the state. The collaboration reflects the shared vision of both parties to contribute toward a tobacco-free India.

This non-binding agreement sets the foundation for a mutually beneficial partnership, focusing on monitoring, reporting, and empowering communities to participate in tobacco regulation enforcement. The Tobacco Monitor App offers a range of features designed to support tobacco control efforts. Users will be able to access vital information on tobacco laws, they can report violations of tobacco control laws, including non-compliance with ban orders or specific regulations, with a comprehensive list of violations available for selection. They can also track the status of their complaints, from registration to resolution. The app provides support options, including cessation assistance, and allows for volunteer registration to aid tobacco control initiatives. Additionally, the app includes a ToFEl function to assess schools’ tobacco-free status and provides updates on tobacco control campaigns and events.

The MoU has been facilitated by the Centre for Public Health Law and the project team of Global Tobacco Control Project at NLUO. The MoU was formalized by the NLUO Registrar and Mr. S. Cyril Alexander, Executive Director of MACT, reaffirming their commitment to innovation in public health governance. Together, the parties aim to leverage technology and legal expertise to create a robust monitoring mechanism tailored to the socio linguistic needs of Odisha and promote healthier communities in Odisha.

The Intellectual Property Analysis and Advocacy Centre (IPAAC), National Law University Odisha organized a Commemorative Event for World Intellectual Property Day on the 27th of April 2025, at 2.00 P.M. to celebrate the theme of the year “IP and music: Feel the beat of IP”.
The event commenced with Welcome address by Dr. Rujitha Shenoy followed by the lecture by Mr. Abhijit Kumar, Lecture, University of Leicester whose expertise lies in intellectual property rights, and teaches IP-related modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Session witnessed discussions with respect to the nuances of Intellectual Property Laws and how it protects the music industry and the challenges faced in the era of AI. The Session attended by faculties and students ended with discussions on gaps in the IP Laws in protecting the folk music and probable solutions to it.

The Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National Law University Odisha (NLUO) is turning 10 on 12^th April, 2025. To mark the occasion it will re-launch its flagship journal, the Journal on the Rights of the Child of National Law University Odisha.

The occasion will be graced by Hon’ble Justice Savitri Ratho, Judge of Orissa High Court and also the Chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Orissa High Court. She will deliver the Presidential Address. The welcome address will be delivered by Prof Ved Kumari, Vice Chancellor, National Law University Odisha, also the Patron-in-Chief of CCR.

The CCR is the second oldest Centre for Child Rights in any National Law University in India. It is also the only Centre with a Chair Professor on Child Rights in any university (Law or non-Law included). Thanks to the efforts of the Professor Ved Kumari, one of the foremost scholars on Juvenile Justice, the Chair Professorship was set with a generous grant from the Government of Odisha in 2023 but became fully functional in 2024.

Founded in 2015, the CCR was inaugurated by the then Visitor from Hon’ble Supreme Court, the former Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Justice Dipak Misra. Hon’ble Justice Pradip K Mohanty, then acting Chief Justice of Orissa High Court, various judges of Orissa High Court and officers of the Women and Child Development Department of Government of Odisha also graced the occassion. The incumbent Vice Chancellor during the founding of CCR was Prof Srikrishna Deva Rao, the current Vice Chancellor of NALSAR Hyderabad.

Originally CCR was founded to strengthen the human resources of Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) and push the discourse on juvenile justice. CCR has since evolved into a national and global thought leader on child rights, justice and wellbeing.  CCR’s remit has expanded to all aspects of childhood and child rights, from thought leadership, curating and teaching courses on all aspects of child rights and determinant sector, convening colloquiums, foregrounding child rights in everyday discourse, advising the state and its instruments for better practices and reforms and building a child rights’ centric temper in the society. CCR also leads the building of child-friendly communities in the NLUO’s flagship intervention in neighboring settlements of Brajabeharipur, Valmiki Nagar and Baba Tilkanagar. The child friendly communities are a commitment of the government of India to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandate and as per NITI Ayog indicators. It is to protect and promote the children and their voice, participation and agency in their native communities.

The Centre also curates and teaches courses on Child Rights and determinant sectors. These courses are curated with a special focus on bridging the gap between the lexis and praxis, experiential learning, live projects and contributes to the capacity-building at multiple levels. With projects spanning from Odisha to collaborations with other NLUs and international agencies, CCR continues to serve as a bridge between classrooms, courtrooms and communities. Child Rights course offered to 4^th year BA-LLB and BBA-LLB students and the Food and Nutrition Justice course offered to 5^th year BA-LLB and BBA-LLB students have been two of the most opted electives of the 2024-25 academic year.

CCR also works on making economic, social and cultural rights like education, health, nutrition etc, that enhances the life chances of every child, justiciable for every child.

The 10^th anniversary special edition, Volume 6 of the Journal on the Rights of the Child of National Law University Odisha, will be launched in the event. The journal presents original works spanning research papers, case commentaries, opinion pieces and infographic fact-sheet. The themes explored in this edition include evolution of jurisprudence on juvenile’s right to bail, childhood obesity in a fast changing world, status check on the Right to Education, equity as imagined in the school meal programme of PM POSHAN, re-analysis of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on status of children in conflict with law in Odisha, child marriage, adoption, Romeo – Juliet laws in India, juvenile delinquency in India, refugee children’s rights, digital childhood, children’s contractual rights in influencer economy with special focus on sports and entertainment industry, best interests of children in custody disputes.

The Journal’s advisory board has some of the most eminent global names in Law and Justice i.e. Justice Madan Lokur, Justice Gita Mittal, Prof Bernd-Deiter Meier, Prof Christopher Birbeck and Prof Bhavani P Panda.

Other dignitaries who will attend the 10^th anniversary celebration are Subhendu Bhattacharjee from leading child rights’ non-profit CRY, Sourav Bhattacharjee from UNICEF and many champions of child rights in the law, civil society and media sector.

As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, CCR reaffirms its vision to build a “child rights temper” and to advocate for justice “anywhere and everywhere,” irrespective of contexts. Its mission remains rooted in leveraging knowledge for legal, policy and practice reform and making access to justice a reality for every child.

CCR at NLUO is led by the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor-cum-Director, Prof Biraj Swain supported by a team of senior researchers Dr Swagatika Samal, Dr Pradipta K Sarangi and office administrator Mr Amulya Swain. The CCR also has a UNICEF consultant Ankit K Keshri. The CCR has two co-directors Dr Shubhanginee Singh and Dr Rashmi Rekha Baug.

The CCR also has one of the most vibrant student body which has come through an open competitive process headlined by Dhruv Dhingra (Convenor), Aradhana Nayak (Co-Convenor). Other members of the CCR student body are: Anuj Kulhar (Advisor), Avismrita Shyamali Mishra (Mentor), Madhulika Tripathy (Mentor), Suraj Mishra (Secretary), Jyotirmaya Choudhary (Joint Secretary), Priyanka P Das and Kashish Rathore (Social Media team), Abhinandan, Poorna Mishra, Amit K Samal, Ishika Bhattacharyya (Research and Documentation), Kriti Jain, Shahnaz Najm Chowdhury (Events and Logistics) and Akshat Prakash, Sriti Basu, Sushant Mishra, Reyansh Thakur and Bharat B Tayal (members). The students bring out a bi-monthly newsletter which provides a global scan of the key development on child rights, they run the LinkedIn and the Instagram pages. As this report is being written the students are running an explainer series on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

More can be found about CCR here: https://nluo.ac.in/centre/centre-for-child-rights-ccr/

The social media handles of CCR are:

• Instagram: Centre for Child Rights, NLUO (@centreforchildrightsnluo) • Instagram photos and videos
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/centre-for-child-rights-nluo/

For more you can contact:

• Prof Biraj Swain: +91 9868524754 / swain@nluo.ac.in
• Dr Swagatika Samal: +91 8249012917 / swagatika@nluo.ac.in

• Press Note

• Press Statement 

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