Child rights body issues guidelines for entertainment industry

New Delhi, June 25: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued draft guidelines for children in the entertainment industry to regulate their participation in films, TV, reality shows, OTT platforms, news and content creation for social media websites. According to the draft rules, children below the age of three months will not be allowed on shows apart from promotional programmes on breastfeeding and immunisation. Child artists will not be made to participate in any show that ridicules, embarrasses or distresses them, the guideline further stated. Violations of the rules will include penal provisions such as a jail term of up to three years. "No child shall be made to enter into an agreement, by virtue of which the child is required to do any work or render any service as a bonded labourer under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 or by virtue of which the child is unable to terminate the agreement or enter into any other agreement," the guidelines added. The guidelines have been published on the website of NCPCR for stakeholders to react to. These guidelines were drafted in consultation with a committee of prominent people from the entertainment industry set up for the purpose. The safety of children in the production environment must be ensured. A child protection policy as well as general principles, procedures for getting parental consent, good - practice, and staff protocols for engaging with children must be developed by all production units. Also Read | Jalalabad IED blast case: NIA conducts searches at multiple locations in Punjab "A minor, especially below the age of six years, shall not be exposed to harmful lighting, irritating or contaminated cosmetics. Every person involved in the production who may be in contact with children shall submit a medical fitness certificate and certificate for not carrying obvious contagious disease before shooting and police verification of such staff shall be done," it added. Additionally, in accordance with section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, children should not be shown consuming alcohol, smoking or using any other substance; and children must register their names with the district magistrate. "In programmes based on victims of child abuse, the content should be sensitively handled, and the way children are projected should not harm or risk their welfare," the draft note further remarked. Children will not be forced to share dressing rooms with adults, especially those who are of the opposite sex; the programme producer is responsible for providing enough food and water for the children as well as gender-specific restrooms. Additionally, producers will be responsible for arranging for the child's education, and no assignment may last longer than 27 days. No child shall work for more than six hours, or between the hours of 7 p.m. and 8 a.m., without a break every three hours. For advertisements, the draft guidelines say that children should not be ridiculed or made to feel inferior if they do not purchase a certain product, or be seen forcing parents to purchase them. Also Read | Sidhu Moosewala murder: Kabaddi player who got weapons from Goldy Brar held -PTC News