Centre for Child Rights, NLUO Launches First-of-its-kind Child Protection Mentorship Programme

BHUBANESWAR: In a major stride toward strengthening child protection systems in Odisha, the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at the National Law University Odisha (NLUO), supported by the UNICEF, launched the Child Protection Mentorship Programme (CPMP) on July 18, 2025 at the NLUO, Cuttack.

Designed as a professional development initiative, the programme aims to empower a new generation of child protection practitioners by equipping them with critical knowledge, practical tools, and ethical grounding necessary to respond to complex challenges facing children across the state.

The CCR at NLUO is a teaching, research and advocacy centre established to advance legal and social innovations in child protection.

The programme aims to build a cadre of child protection practitioners who can support government schemes, strengthen NGO interventions, work with statutory bodies such as the Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees, and serve as watchdogs of child rights within their communities.

Through structured learning, mentoring, assignments, and peer engagement, the CPMP envisions fostering reflective practitioners capable of critical analysis and compassionate action. The initiative aligns with India’s commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

The course co-leads are Ankit K Keshri, UNICF supported Technical consultant with NLUO-CCR and Dr Rashmi Rekha Baug, Assistant Prof of Law and Co-Director of the NLUO-CCR.

The inaugural event, held in a hybrid format, witnessed the participation of dignitaries from the judiciary, academia and civil society, as well as development professionals, with 100 selected mentees forming the first cohort of the programme.

The valedictory address was delivered by Justice Murahari Sri Raman, Judge of the Orissa High Court and Member of the Juvenile Justice Committee, Odisha High Court. The event was graced by Jagadananda, Mentor and Co-Founder of the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD); Vijayalakshmi Arora, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF New Delhi; Manna Biswas, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF Odisha; Sujit Mahapatra, Secretary of the Bakul Foundation.

Eminent mentors AK Asthana, lawyer and child rights activist; Bharti Ali, former Executive Director of HAQ Centre for Child Rights; Nimisha Srivastava, Executive Director and Founder of Counsel to Secure Justice; Swagata Raha, Co-Director – Restorative Practices, Enfold India and Co-Founder of Enfold Health Trust; Govind Beniwal, Child Protection Specialist from UNICEF; Ghasiram Panda, Child Protection Specialist, Unicef Odisha also joined digitally.

Prof Biraj Swain, Chief Minister’s Chair Professor and Director, CCR-NLUO delivered the opening remarks.

Prof. Ved Kumari, Vice-Chancellor of NLUO and Patron-in-chief of CCR, reinforced the role of academic institutions as changemakers in the social justice landscape.

Vijayalakshmi Arora spoke contextualised the mentorship programme within a national and global push for professionalising child protection cadre and emphasised the role of training, mentoring, and reflective practice in building sustainable impact.

Jagadananda spoke on Odisha’s development trajectory and the essential role civil society had played, from humanitarian crisis and rebuilding, planning for long-term development, building civic capacity on Right to Information and Food Security and state capacity to respond.

Sujit Mahapatra shared on the importance of art and creative works in trauma healing, therapy and building confidence amongst children.

Manna Biswas provided an overview of the CPMP and presented the objectives, framework, and expected outcomes of the programme.

Designed for Odisha-based professionals, the programme combines expert sessions, interactive discussions on topics such as child rights law, trauma-informed care, juvenile justice, ethical reporting, and crisis intervention. Participation is free, limited to 100 seats, and aims to ensure focused mentoring.

Ankit K Keshri introduced the mentors and mentees, setting expectations for the collaborative journey ahead. He explained how the mentorship model aims to foster ongoing support, guidance, and reflective practice, enabling mentees to translate knowledge into action. He encouraged participants to see this as a collective learning ecosystem and

urged them to take ownership of their development. He shared that 225 applicants registered from amongst whom 100 were selected through a fair and transparent process which was communicated to each one of the applicants.

This was followed by an open house discussion for the mentees moderated by Dr Swagatika Samal, Researcher in the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team, Dr Pradipta K Sarangi, Researcher in the Chief Minister’s Chair Professor team and Ankit K Keshri.

Justice Murahari Sri Raman emphasised the critical role of the CPMP in strengthening the capacity of frontline child protection actors in Odisha.

Highlighting the unique vulnerabilities children face due to systemic neglect and social challenges, he commended the programme’s restorative justice approach, community engagement, and legal grounding. “Let Odisha lead the way. Let us become the state where child protection is not a scattered mandate but a shared value,” he said.

The event marked the formal commencement of the four-month online mentorship programme, which will unfold through 32 curated sessions delivered by experts in the fields of law, social work, child psychology, policy advocacy, and community engagement.