Desh Ke Mentor Programme-New measures

The Desh Ke Mentor Programme was launched by the Delhi Government in October 2021. The programme creates links between the class 9, class 10, class 11 and class 12 students with mentors.

What happened?

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights recommended the Delhi Government to suspend the Desh Ke Mentor Programme. Following this, the Delhi Government added new features. The concerns raised were against the safety and security of the children participating in the programme. Therefore, respective suggested changes were made.

Concerns raised by the Commission

The children and people unknown to them are brought together. This creates safety and security risks to the children. There is not police verification to provide the authenticity of the mentor. There are chances for child related crimes. A psychometric test is not enough to assess a person and his character.

Legality of the concerns

The concerns were raised under Section 13 and Section 15 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights act.

Newly added features

The police officers will verify the mentors. The conversation between the mentors and children are recorded. The mentors and the children are not allowed to meet offline. Only online meetings are allowed. The contact details of the mentors and the children will be hidden. Both the participants will not know about the whereabouts of each other.

About the programme

Under the programme, volunteers of age 18 years to 35 years, willing to participate shall sign in as mentors. They enter the programme through mobile application. This app was created by the Delhi Technological University. The mentors are connected with the students based on mutual interest. The mentorship includes regular calls for two months or shall be extended to four months.

Aim of the programme

To help the young students get guidance in selecting their career options. It also helps the students to prepare for higher education, entrance exams. Since the launch of the programme, 44,000 people have signed up for the programme and are helping 1.76 lakh children.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2022

Category: Government Schemes Current Affairs • India Nation & States Current Affairs