Child artists in movies, TV shows should be registered with district magistrate: NCPCR

NEW DELHI : The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has made it mandatory for production houses to register all child actors under the district magistrate as per its new guidelines. The commission has also made it mandatory for a parent to be present at all times with children working in the entertainment industry.

NCPCR released the Guidelines for Child and Adolescent Participation in the Entertainment Industry on Thursday.

The registration for the child actors is only valid for six months at a time.

“Any producer of any audio–visual media production or any commercial event involving the participation of a child, shall involve a child in participation only after obtaining the permission from the District Magistrate,” the NCPCR said in its new guidelines.

The commission also directed states and union territories to devise an online mechanism for production houses to register the child actors.

The production houses are also required to carry a disclaimer specifying that “all measures were taken to ensure that there has been no abuse, neglect or exploitation of such a child during the entire process” of the shoot.

The commission has directed that every person involved in the production who may be in contact with children or adolescents shall submit a medical fitness certificate before shooting with children. Production houses are also directed to get police verification of such staff done prior to employing them.

The guidelines require that no child is put in a situation that “is inappropriate to the child or that may distress him or put him in embarrassing situations”. It also said that no children should be involved in “indecent or obscene representation of a child or nudity” and that “no person shall make a child exhibit his body”.

It also said that no child or adolescent shall be made to participate in making any content which is not certified to be viewed by them.

The guidelines state that social media content created by the child or their family for economic gains shall be treated as children working in a family enterprise as per the Child Labour and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986

Work environment

The NCPCR guidelines also talk about creating a safe working environment for the child.

It states that children “should not be made to share dressing spaces or rooms with adults, especially of the opposite gender”.

The commission also said that no child shall be allowed to work for more than five hours in a day, and for not more than three hours without rest. The children cannot be made to work overtime either.

According to the guidelines, parents should ensure that involvement of children in any work on any platform shall not affect their school education.

It also said that at least twenty percent of the income earned by the child from the production is to be directly deposited in a fixed deposit account in a nationalised bank in the name of the child. This is not necessary if the child is only an extra actor in the set.

The guidelines also give instructions to the media on reporting child-related incidents. It says that media houses should ensure that children who are victims of violence or abuse should be given anonymity for life. It has also directed the media to not sensationalise issues or stories relating to children.