40% of gram panchayats in Karnataka lack child protection, education committees

Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 14: In a concerning revelation, around 40% of gram panchayats (GP) in Karnataka do not have fully functional Women and Child Protection Committees (WCC) or Education Task Forces, according to recent findings.

These committees play a crucial role in identifying cases of child marriage, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, child labour, and child abuse. However, many panchayats either have not formed the committees or the existing ones are not functioning, resulting in such cases going unnoticed.

Karnataka has approximately 6,000 gram panchayats, each covering three to four villages. To address rising cases of child-related violations, the women and child development department established these committees in 2019.

The Women and Child