Child Rights Body Asks Delhi Police To Investigate Coaching Institute For Defamatory Ad Targeting Minor Girl
Child Rights Body NCPCR: The National Commission For Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the country’s apex child rights body, has asked the Delhi Police to investigate an allegedly defamatory advertisement by a coaching institute targeting a minor girl.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR), in a letter to the South Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), raised concerns over the potential violation of child rights and defamation laws.
The NCPCR, a statutory body mandated to protect child rights across the country, cited a post on social media platform X wherein the coaching institute allegedly published an advertisement portraying a minor girl in a negative light.
The advertisement suggested that the girl’s departure from the coaching institute resulted in her poor academic performance and that she could have achieved better results through self-study rather than joining another institute.
The NCPCR, invoking its powers under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, to initiate action, expressed grave concern over the potential impact of such advertisements on the minor’s reputation and psychological well-being.
The commission highlighted that the advertisement could potentially violate defamation laws outlined in Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In light of these concerns, the Delhi Police has been urged to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and take necessary legal action against those responsible for the defamatory advertisement.
The NCPCR has requested the Delhi Police to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within seven days of receiving the letter.
A few days back, leading education institution FIITJEE published an advertisement featuring an image of a female student purportedly displaying a drop in performance after leaving their coaching centers.
The advertisement was brought to attention by Deputy Commissioner of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia who shared it on X with the message: “A new low in advertisements @fiitjee. You are posting the picture of a child saying that she performed badly because she left your institute! I have blurred the picture because I don’t believe in this disgusting way of claiming your superiority by belittling a girl child.”
