NCPCR issues guidelines for child artists
New Delhi: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued draft guidelines for children involved in the entertainment industry to regulate their participation in films, TV, OTT platforms, and content creation for social media.
The guidelines were drafted in consultation with a committee comprising prominent people from the entertainment industry. The committee was set up for the purpose of guiding the Commission.
According to the new rules, no infant below the age of three months will be allowed in shooting shows and films, apart from promotional programmes on breastfeeding and immunization. Child artists will not be made to participate in any show that that embarrasses, ridicules, or distresses them.
“No child should be made to enter 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 (abolish) Act, 1976, or by virtue of which the child is unable to terminate the agreement or enter into any other agreement,” the guidelines read.
It is necessary to ensure that children are provided with a safe working environment. NCPCR advised all production units to develop guidelines with respect to children and include general principles, procedures for seeking consent of parents, good practices, staff protocols for engaging with children, and a child protection policy in the guidelines.
“A minor, especially below the age of six years, shall not be exposed to harmful lighting, irritation, 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 diseases before shooting and police verification of such staff shall be done,” the guidelines read.
The shows involving children should also adhere to section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. “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,” it added.
According to the NCPCR, producers will be liable for making educational arrangements for the children involved. The guidelines further mentioned the duration of the projects.
Assignments should not exceed 27 days and child actors should be provided with breaks every three hours and not be made to work for more than six hours. No child will be allowed to work between 7 PM and 8 AM.
(Avya Mathur)
