DCPCR inactive since July, Delhi HC slams govt inaction

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday pulled up the city government for its prolonged inaction in filling key vacancies in the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the Delhi Child Protection Units (DCPUs), warning that such negligence undermines the welfare and rights of children.

A bench led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela made the remarks while hearing a series of Public Interest Litigations (PILs), including suo motu cases, concerning the condition of juvenile homes and child care institutions in the Capital. The hearings gradually expanded to include the non-functional state of child protection bodies due to unfilled posts. The court was informed that the DCPCR has been inactive since July 2023, owing to a complete lack of appointments. Expressing concern, the bench said, “The Commission carries out crucial statutory functions to safeguard children’s rights. The failure to fill vacancies has led to a situation where these functions have come to a standstill.”

Describing the government’s delay as “callous,” the court noted that its earlier order from October 2024 had clearly directed that the appointments be completed within three months, a timeline that has long expired with no progress in sight.

The Delhi High Court has directed the government to complete appointments to the DCPCR within six weeks and fill long-pending DCPU vacancies within eight weeks. Slamming the delay, Chief Justice Upadhyaya warned of contempt, saying statutory duties shouldn’t need court orders. The court stressed the urgent revival of child rights bodies stalled by bureaucratic apathy.