Children

Albania to shut down TikTok for a year over violence among children

Albania's prime minister said on Saturday the government will shut down the video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teen after a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok "would be fully closed for all.... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania". Rama said the shutdown would begin sometime next year. It was not immediately clear if TikTok has a contact in Albania. TikTok, in an email response on Saturday to a request for comment, asked for "urgent clarity from the Albanian government" on the case of the stabbed teenager. The company said it had "found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have in fact confirmed videos leading up to this incident w

Australia's social media ban for kids sparks debate on advertising ethics

Marketers and platforms face scrutiny as new rules aim to protect children under 16 from online harm

8 deaths from unknown illness in J&K's Rajouri, Centre sets up experts team

The death toll from an unknown illness in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district has risen to eight, with another child succumbing to the mysterious disease in a hospital here on Wednesday, prompting authorities to set up a central team of experts to assist in investigating the cases and fatalities in the affected village. A Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) mobile laboratory has been dispatched to Rajouri to expedite testing and identify the illness, officials said Twelve-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed, son of Mohammad Rafiq, passed away after being hospitalised at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for six days, officials said. He was earlier referred to Chandigarh for treatment but could not survive, officials said. Ashfaq's younger siblingsseven-year-old Ishtiyaq and five-year-old Naziadied last Thursday. With the death of Ashfaq, the number of fatalities in Badhaal village of Kotranka tehsil has reached eight. All the deceased belonged to two families from the same village. Deputy ...

Your child needs PAN card for various purposes: Here is how to get one

A PAN card is often a requirement for eligibility in various scholarship programmes and government schemes

Age restrictions: Australia's social-media law set to be a case study

The platforms are upset. The ban impacts a large chunk of their user base, and young people are among the most engaged users

38.9% children under 5 years of age in anganwadis found stunted: Govt data

Over a third of children under five years of age enrolled in anganwadis across India are stunted, the government has told the Rajya Sabha. In response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister of State Savitri Thakur said 7.54 crore children up to five years of age are enrolled in anganwadis and registered on the Poshan Tracker. Of these, 7.31 crore were measured for growth parameters, and findings show that 38.9 per cent of children are stunted, 17 per cent are underweight, and 5.2 per cent are wasted. Stunting, wasting, and underweight are all types of malnutrition, which is a condition caused by an imbalance in a person's energy or nutrient intake. For the broader age group of 06 years, the data shows similar concerns. Of the 16.1 crore projected population of children up to six years in 2021, 8.82 crore are enrolled in anganwadis. Measurements of 8.55 crore children in this group indicate that 37 per cent are stunted, while 17 per cent are underweight,

Child recruitment by gangs in Haiti rises by 70% in past year: Unicef

Gangs in Haiti are recruiting children at unprecedented levels, with the number of minors targeted soaring by 70 per cent in the past year, according to a report released Monday by UNICEF. Currently, between 30 per cent to 50 per cent of all gang members in the violence-wracked country are children, according to the UN. This is a very concerning trend, said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF's representative in Haiti. The increase comes as poverty deepens and violence increases amid political instability, with gangs that control 85 per cent of Port-au-Prince attacking once peaceful communities in a push to assume total control of the capital. Young boys are often used as informers because they're invisible and not seen as a threat, Narayan said in a phone interview from Haiti. Some are given weapons and forced to participate in attacks. Girls, meanwhile, are forced to cook, clean and even used as so-called wives for gang members. They're not doing this voluntarily, Narayan said. Even when the

War has endangered future of 2.5 bn children across world: UP CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that war has endangered the future of 2.5 billion children of the world. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 25th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World at the World Unity Convention Center of City Montessori School (CMS) here, Adityanath said war is not a solution to problems. "War has endangered the future of 2.5 billion children of the world," he said while discussing the address given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations' 'Summit of the Future'. Adityanath urged the world leaders to unite and build a clean, safe and fear-free society for the coming generations. Emphasizing the importance of the motto of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', he described it as a symbol of India's commitment to global humanity. Describing it as India's eternal message, he said that we have always given priority to peace, harmony and co-existence. According to an official statement issued here, 178 chief justi

World Children's Day 2024: History, significance, theme, quotes and more

World Children's Day is celebrated every year on November 20 and this day is an opportunity to address children's voices and the issues they face

182 mn kids in low-, middle-income nations lack access to nurture: Study

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), three-fourths of those aged three or four years lack -- nearly 182 million children -- access to adequate nurture, thereby risking healthy development, according to a new series paper, published in The Lancet journal. The series builds on the foundation of the first 1,000 days of life -- referring to the time period starting conception until two years old -- and highlights how the 'next 1,000 days' (from age two to age five) is a crucial window of opportunity for providing nurturing care to children, researchers said. During this stage of 'next 1,000 days', children are often not in direct regular contact with health or education services, with fewer than one in three children aged three or four attending early childhood care and education programmes in LMICs, said the researchers. The authors called for an increased investment for this stage of child development, with a particular focus on improving access to high quality childhood care

Himachal govt expands 'CM Sukh-Ashray Yojana' to support abandoned children

Under the expanded Mukhyamantri Sukhashrya Yojana, certificates for eligible children would be issued by district child welfare committees, a government release said

Australia set to impose ban on social media for children under 16, says PM

The long-anticipated age limits for social media are part of a suite of measures from Albanese's center-left Labor government to crack down on technology giants

66% parents believe children addicted to social media, gaming, finds survey

Majority of parents surveyed believe their children are addicted to social media, over-the-top apps and gaming platforms and more than half have observed behavioural changes in them which include aggression, impatience and lethargy, says a report. According to a survey of parents of children aged between 9 and 17 years in urban areas, 47 per cent have shared that their wards spend an average of three hours or more every day on social media, videos, over-the-top apps, and online games. Around 10 per cent of the parents shared their children spend more than six hours on social media, online games and videos, online survey firm LocalCircles said. "66 per cent of parents of urban Indian children surveyed believe that their children are addicted to social media, OTT or online gaming platforms and 58 per cent of these parents believe that this is leading to increased aggression, impatience and lethargy in children," LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia said. The survey was conducted onlin

Diarrheal diseases kill 1.2 million annually; 28% casualties are children

An Oxford-backed report says diarrheal diseases caused 1.2 million deaths in 2021, comparable to all violent deaths around the world. With 340,000 fatalities, it's also a leading cause of child deaths

Indian problems require Indian solutions: NCPCR chief on children's issues

NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo emphasised the need to find "Indian solutions to Indian problems and not follow European models," for solving children's issues, a philosophy he believes was his biggest challenge during his tenure as the chairperson of the apex child rights body. As he demits office on Wednesday, Kanoongo reflected on how his approach shaped his leadership and the initiatives he spearheaded. In an interview with PTI, Kanoongo said that one of his key challenges was adapting existing child welfare systems to fit the Indian context. Kanoongo critiqued the replication of European models in India and explained, "In Europe, children living with their grandparents are considered part of the extended family. But in our culture, we consider grandparents as immediate family. The challenge was to adapt such systems to the Indian context and give legal recognition to these relationships." Under his leadership, he said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights .

Caste discrimination has no place in a modern India: Books, films can help

Children and teenagers now have access to books that unpack how the caste system dehumanises people on the lower rungs of the hierarchy and how they reclaim their dignity

Australia upholds $610,500 fine against Musk's X on child e-safety concerns

An Australian Court has upheld AUD 610,500 fine against Elon Musk's X for failing to address child abuse content amid crackdown on tech companies

18K adoptions since 2019, only 1.4K children with special needs find homes

Of the 18,179 adoptions recorded since 2019, only 1,404 involved children with special needs even as the absolute numbers of adoptions saw an increase over the next five years, according to official data. Though the number of children with special needs for adoption has risen, the adoption rate is still significantly low, activists pointed out. Children with special needs require additional support due to physical, developmental, behavioural or emotional challenges. In 2019-20, India saw a total of 3,745 adoptions -- 3,351 in-country and 394 international. Of the total number, only 56 boys and 110 girls with special needs were adopted, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) said in its response to an RTI query filed by PTI. In 2020-21, a total of 3,559 adoptions were recorded including 3,142 in-country and 417 inter-country. Only 110 boys and 133 girls with special needs were adopted in this year. The number of adoptions dropped marginally to 3,405 -- 2,991 in-country and

77% children say they use GenAI tools to help with schoolwork: Survey

Survey finds that children above the age of 10 in major metro cities use GenAI once a week, mainly for educational purposes, while 20% use it to pursue personal interests

Extreme heat endangering children in West, Central Africa, says UNICEF

Children in West and Central Africa are increasingly exposed to extreme heat, which further endangers their health, according to a new report by UNICEF. The frequency of heatwaves in the region has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, according to the report published on Wednesday. West Africa experienced an unprecedented heat wave earlier this year that led to a surge in deaths. One hospital in Mali reported 102 deaths in the first four days of April, compared to 130 deaths in the entire month of April last year. It's unknown how many of the fatalities were due to the extreme weather as such data cannot be made public under the regulations imposed by the country's military rulers. The extreme heat is creating health concerns for children and pregnant women as it is linked to higher chances of stillbirths, low birth weight and preterm births, according to the report. Exposure to high levels of heat also leaves children more vulnerable to developing chronic diseases and contracting