Jammu Tawi, JAN 20: The District Administration Jammu, in collaboration with the National Development Foundation (NDF) Jammu and with support from the HDFC Bank Parivartan Programme chored by Bharat Cares, organized a one-day training on Child Protection, focusing on child rights and prevention of suicides among children and students.

Held on the initiative of District Magistrate Jammu Rakesh Minhas, the programme was inaugurated by Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Sher Singh. Around 75 officers from departments including Education, Health, Labour, Police, Mission Poshan, Mission Vatsalya, ICDS, and other allied sectors participated in the training.

The programme featured expert sessions by Dr Pallvi Sachdeva, Assistant Professor, Department of Lifelong Learning; Ajeet Sharma, CEO Jammu; Dr Romesh Sharma, HOD DIET Jammu; and divisional nodal officer for counselling. The training was anchored by Nisha Pandita, Programme Officer, NDF Jammu.

In his keynote address, noted child rights strategist and honorary patron of NDF, Rajiv Kumar Khajuria, stressed coordinated efforts by families, schools, communities and child protection mechanisms to prevent suicides, highlighting the role of the Juvenile Justice system in supporting children in distress.

Joint Director/CPO Jammu Ajay Pal Singh said a Task Force on Suicide Prevention led by the District Magistrate is actively working on the issue. Officials also highlighted existing support systems, including the child helpline 1098.

Addressing the gathering, ADDC Sher Singh said the district administration supports around 200 children in need of care and protection and will formu-late a district-level action plan to prevent suicides among children and adolescents.