Latest news with #BKeerthi
Time of India
12-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
‘70% of child labourers back to work in NTR, Krishna dists'
1 2 Vijayawada: A recent study by NGO Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM) has revealed that nearly 70% of child labourers rescued in the Krishna and NTR districts have returned to work, pointing to weak rehabilitation systems and lack of consistent follow-up. The study, released ahead of World Day Against Child Labour (June 12), tracked the progress of 291 child labourers rescued in the last two years by VMM in collaboration with the labour department. Many were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, working on the streets of Vijayawada, while others hailed from surrounding villages. While the children were initially re-admitted to schools, the study found that most parents quietly sent them back to work, often in different locations, to avoid govt scrutiny. "We are seeing a pattern where children rescued and reintegrated into education are silently being re-employed elsewhere," said Dr B Keerthi, president of VMM. One such case is of Charan (name changed), a boy from Kesarpalli near Gannavaram. "After passing seventh standard, my mother made me work in a sweet shop for 1,000 per month, 12 hours a day. Even after I was rescued and told to return to school, my parents preferred to send me back to work," he shared. Dr Keerthi stressed the need for regular monitoring post-rescue. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
First Indian lawyer to get Medal of Honor
Vijayawada: Eminent child rights lawyer and Just Rights for Children founder Bhuwan Ribhu has become the first Indian lawyer to be conferred with the 'Medal of Honour' by the World Jurist Association (WJA) at the World Law Congress in Dominican Republic. Bhuwan Ribhu has strong connections with NTR district as Vijayawada-based Vasavya Mahila Mandali is a partner of the Just Rights for Children network. Elated with this honour conferred to the founder of JRC, Dr B Keerthi, president of Vasavya Mahila Mandali said, 'This is not just an individual honour for Bhuwan Ribhu. It is a moment of immense pride for all of us working on the ground to protect every child. We are committed to making NTR district child marriage-free by 2030.' Bhuwan Ribhu received the 'Medal of Honour' from Eddy Olivares Ortega, Minister of Labor of Dominican Republic, and Javier Cremades, President of the World Jurist Association. Bhuwan Ribhu has led over 60 PILs resulting in landmark rulings in the Supreme Court and various High Courts. His 2011 case led to the Supreme Court defining trafficking in line and his 2013 campaign on missing children triggered a historic judgment changing the way India's legal system perceived missing children cases. His PICKET strategy to end child marriage, outlined in When Children Have Children, was endorsed by the Supreme Court in its 2024 guidelines. The strategy is also followed by the Vasavya Mahila Mandali, which is determined that the district would be free from child marriage by 2030.
