The two-week Special Training Programme on “Exploring Child Rights via the Lens of Human Rights”, jointly organised by National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ) and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, was inaugurated today at the NLUJ Auditorium. The programme will run from 25 January to 7 February 2026 and is being attended by government officials, professionals, and practitioners working in the area of child rights and justice from 11 countries, namely Fiji, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Eswatini, Mongolia, Ghana, Syria, Uzbekistan, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Moldova, reflecting the programme’s strong international engagement.
The inaugural programme commenced at 2:30 PM with the welcome of participants by Dr. Neeti Mathur, Coordinator of the NLUJ–ITEC Programme, who outlined the objectives and structure of the two-week training. This was followed by an introduction to the programme by Ms. Preeti Badola, who highlighted the thematic focus on child rights, human rights frameworks, and rights-based governance.
The Presidential Address was delivered by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, who emphasised the importance of strengthening institutional and professional capacity on child-rights issues through a rights-based and human-centric approach. She noted that the programme offers a valuable platform for cross-border dialogue, comparative learning, and the exchange of best practices, and warmly welcomed the international participants to NLU Jodhpur.
The inaugural session was further graced by the Special Address of the Chief Guest, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Manoj Kumar Garg, Former Judge, Rajasthan High Court, who underscored the centrality of the best interest of the child principle in decision-making and policy implementation. Justice Garg highlighted the need for continuous sensitisation, ethical leadership, and international cooperation to address emerging challenges such as digital risks to children, child labour, juvenile justice concerns, and gender-based violence.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Sunita Pankaj, RAS, Registrar, NLUJ, who acknowledged the support of the Ministry of External Affairs, the ITEC Division, resource persons, and the organising team. The inaugural programme ended with a group photograph followed by high tea with participants.
The programme is coordinated by Dr. Neeti Mathur (NLUJ–ITEC Programme Coordinator) under the patronage of Dr. Sunita Pankaj (Registrar, NLUJ), with Ms. Preeti Badola, Dr. Divya, and Dr. Sucheta Boora as members of the organising committee. Over the next two weeks, participants will engage in expert lectures, case discussions, institutional and court visits, and field engagements focusing on themes such as child marriage, right to education, juvenile justice, digital rights of children, child labour, intersectionality, and ethical leadership for child protection.
