TEZPUR UNIVERSITY

post graduate diploma in

child rights and governance
Centre for Inclusive Development, Tezpur University

prospectus
2016-17
Message from the Vice Chancellor,
Tezpur University

Prof. Mihir K. Chaudhuri

The Post Graduate Diploma course in Child Rights and Governance is an outcome
of a long term association between Tezpur University and UNICEF. The university is
committed to rendering service towards the uplift of the underprivileged members
of the society with the view to contributing to a holistic development of the nation.
Children constitute the fundamental blocks of development of a nation… therefore
special attention should be directed at their development, progress and participation.
In realizing this ideal, Tezpur University has found a committed partner in UNICEF.

The course would study the government system, mulling upon its efficacy in
protecting and promoting child rights. Legislative frameworks and government
policies would also be critiqued to gauge their effectiveness in creating child friendly
governance. The course aims at offering an in depth understanding of child rights
framework, both at the international as well as the national level and the role of
government in protecting and promulgating such rights.

The course is committed to educating and training young students/ professionals

aspiring for a career in the domain of child rights. The programme provides adequate
scope for practical work to the students with a view to equipping them with first
hand field experience.

I wish the course a great success and hope for its continued sustenance.
Message from Chief, UNICEF Assam

Dr. Tushar Rane

The Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights and Governance (PGDCRG) is a unique result of
the collaboration between Tezpur University and UNICEF Assam. The diploma programme
hosted by the Centre for Inclusive Development (CID), in the University, will contribute
towards creating an enabling environment for child rights in the region. The course will
examine child rights holistically and will reflect on the relevance and role of effective
governance in promoting and ensuring child rights. An understanding and commitment
to child rights must be appropriately reflected in the Government system through its right
legislative frameworks, budget allocations and policies. The course will provide candidates
with a comprehensive understanding of child rights, right-based framework; status of
children in the North-East with a focus on exclusion; and Governance and Social Policy.
PGDCRG will also have a component on research and internship related to child rights.

The one-year PG Diploma will create a cadre of trained and committed advocates on child
right issues who can inform the practice, policies and academic discourse on child rights.

Tezpur University

Tezpur University was established in 1994 by an Act of the Parliament as a teaching and
residential central university with an objective to promote teaching-learning and research
for advancement of knowledge and creation of human resources for the development of the
state, region and the nation. Located on a 262-acre plot at Tezpur, Assam, the University
currently has 20 departments and 11 Centres/Cells offering 63 carefully chosen academic
programmes under four Schools of Studies viz., the Schools of Sciences, Humanities and
Social Sciences, Management Sciences, and Engineering.

UNICEF

In order to respond to recent changes in the world, mostly in the development sector, and
to address the effects of inequity and inequality on children’s and women’s rights,
UNICEF is increasingly advocating for change in policies, programme and strategies by
involving governments, academic institutions, NGOs, and other development partners in
India. To strengthen its equity agenda, UNICEF is working on evidence-based analysis to
build support and develop political capital in favour of effective policies, laws and budgets
that promote the rights and wellbeing of children and women. UNICEF believes that there
is a need to raise awareness and create an ethos of respecting the rights of the child in
Indian society and therefore there is a strong need to empower the younger generation to
advocate for the rights of the children and in order to realize their full potential.

About the Centre

One of the prime objectives of Tezpur University as enshrined in the Tezpur University Act
1993 is “to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions
and welfare of the people”. Further, the Eleventh Plan Document of the Planning Commission
emphasizes how institutes of higher education ought to extend their resources and services
towards community development. In order to materialize this ideal, Tezpur University has
established the Centre for Inclusive Development (CID) as an umbrella organization comprising
the Equal Opportunity Cell, SC/ST Cell and the Training & Placement Cell which have a good
deal of functional commonality. The initiative has been impelled by the fact that many
groups remain excluded from the prospects of development because of factors such as
gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability or poverty. Development in its true
essence cannot be accomplished if all groups of society cannot avail equal opportunities,
claim their share of the fruits of development and participate in decision-making. The
over-arching goal of the Centre for Inclusive Development (CID) is to contribute towards an
inclusive society that is able to accommodate differences and value diversity.

The Centre for Inclusive Development is a research and development forum within the
alcoves of higher education system, the purpose and intent of which is to create equal
opportunity for development of all members/groups of the society with particular focus on
those that have suffered historical marginalization. A unique aspect of the Centre is that it
addresses development issues not of the students alone but also that of the community by
designing and implementing projects that accrue direct benefits for members of the same.
The focal areas of the Centre include sensitization; capacity building and action research
for community development. The Centre organizes an array of programmes (including
outreach) on different issues relevant to the domain of inclusive development. Headed by
its Director, the Centre channelizes its activities towards bridging the gap between higher
education system and the community to facilitate the latter’s development.

About the PGDCRG Programme

Child Rights are Human Rights that ensure wellbeing, safety and development for all
human beings below the age of 18 years. The United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child defines Child Rights as minimum entitlements and freedom that should be
ensured to all persons below the age of 18 regardless of race, colour, gender, language,
religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability. The four basic classifications of
Child Rights as the UNCRC suggests include the Right to Survival, Right to Protection,
Right to Participation and Right to Development. Good governance and child rights are
mutually reinforcing. It is the onus of a government system to ensure that the rights of
children are protected. A government system, through its rights, legislative frameworks,
budget allocations and policies must reflect its sensitivity towards issues of children.
However, if governments fail to adopt appropriate measures the basic rights of children
would remain compromised. Strong political will is a prerequisite in establishing a
secure and conducive social environment for wellbeing and development of children.
It is imperative that governments develop their competence, resources and capacities
to protect Child Rights. Awareness generation regarding children and their legitimate
rights among children, their parents, teachers, employers, and administrators of the
government machinery is a felt need.

The Post Graduate Diploma in Child Rights and Governance (PGDCRG) is intended to
raise awareness and develop capacity of all interested in working/already working in
the field of Child Rights towards conceiving, designing and implementing policies/
programmes towards protection, development and participation of children. Further,
it is aimed at addressing the quest of the academic seekers of the domain as well. The
purpose of the course is to deal with the lives of children, the rights protecting them
from risks and vulnerabilities and the implementation machinery that would ensure
their healthy and holistic development. Importantly, the course aims at deliberating
upon government role and responsibility in addressing the needs of children and
enforcing a protective mechanism in favour of the later. The wellbeing and
development of children ought not to be approached from a welfare perspective,
rather rights of children to security, development and participation must be
acknowledged and honoured. A critique of the present government system and
its concerted efforts towards protecting the rights of children, the shortfalls in its
implementation mechanism and the scope for improvising on plans, programmes
and strategies for protection, development and participation of children would
be duly dealt with in the course. The overarching aim of the course is the training
and development of personnel in the domain of Child Rights. It is envisaged that
the PGDCRG programme would be relevant for those in academics as well as in
the field and would contribute in honing the skills of all those aspiring for a career
in the field of Child Rights.

The course objectives include

• To build a theoretical understanding of children, their lives and the

vulnerabilities they are exposed to in their diverse contextual realities.
• To develop a comprehensive understanding of child rights as
differentiated from state welfare approach.
• To understand governance, its strength and its lacunae in promoting and
ensuring child rights.
• To gain insight into research methodology in child right issues.
• To develop capacity in conceiving rights based approach for child welfare
and development at field as well as institutional levels.

Eligibility

Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline with at least 45% marks. Candidates not having
major/honours must have 50% marks in aggregate.

Admission Procedure

Students are admitted to the PGDCRG programme through the Tezpur University
Entrance Examination (TUEE) held in May. For detailed information on TUEE and other
admission related matters, the University Website www.tezu.ernet.in may be visited.

How to apply: The eligible candidates are required to apply online through the
University website www.tezu.ernet.in after the Admission Notification is uploaded
/ publishedthat is normally done in the first week of March. Candidates are advised
to read and follow the instructions carefully while filling up the relevant columns of
the online application form.
No printed form of application is issued separately.
Important Dates :

• February 29 – April 25, 2016: Online Application Submission.

• May 2, 2016 : Declaration of list of eligible candidates.
• June 4, 2016 : TU Entrance Exam.
• June 20, 2016 : Tentative date for declaration of TUEE results.
• July 25, 2016 : Commencement Academic Session 2016-17.

Reservation and relaxation: As per the Govt. of India rules.

Intake : 20.

Fee Structure :

i. Course Fee : Semester I : INR 22, 803/-

Semester II : INR 14, 503/-
Refundable amount : INR 6, 500/-

Courses offered in PGDCRG

Semester I
Course Code Title L T P CH CR
DCRG101 Understanding Childhood 3 1 0 4 4
DCRG102 Child Rights as Human Rights- 3 1 0 4 4
Paper I
DCRG103 Exclusion and Vulnerabilities of 3 1 0 4 4
Children with special focus on
North East
DCRG104 Governance and Child Rights 3 1 0 4 4
Choice based Credit System 3

Semester II
Course Code Title L T P CH CR
DCRG201 Governance and Social Policy 3 1 0 4 4
DCRG202 Child Rights as Human Rights- 3 1 0 4 4
Paper II
DCRG203 Doing Research in Child Rights 3 1 0 4 4
DCRG204 Project/Internship 0 0 4 8 4
 Choice based Credit System 3

DETAILED COURSE WISE SYLLABUS:

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG101 Understanding Childhood 4 16

Unit 1:The social construct of childhood

Unit 2: Development theory approach in the study of children: physiological, psychosocial,
cognitive approaches to children, marking the transition from infancy to adolescence
Unit 3: The legal construct of childhood
Unit 4: Case study for research/Class room presentations in seminar mode

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG102 Child Rights as Human 4 16
Rights-Paper I

Unit 1: Theoretical background

Unit 2: Historical evolution of human rights
Unit 3: Specialized instruments on the rights of the child & foundational principles
Unit 4: Implementation mechanisms under international law

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG103 Exclusion and Vulnerabilities of 4 16
Children with special focus on
North East

Unit 1: Child vulnerability, Exclusion and marginalisation

Unit 2: Dimensions of vulnerability
Unit 3: Child vulnerabilities, with a particular focus on NE:
Unit 4: Child protection system

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG104 Governance and Child Rights 4 16

Unit 1: Understanding Governance

Unit 2: Child rights governance from global perspective
Unit 3: Governance in North East
Unit 4: Child Poverty and Good governance

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG 201 Governance and Social Policy 4 16

Unit 1: Social Policy Case Studies

Unit 2: Social Protection Mechanisms
Unit 3: Public finance and Child Budgeting, Child Rights Programming
Unit 4: Planning and Advocacy for Child Rights

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG202 Child Rights as Human Rights-Paper II 4 16

Unit 1: Constitution of India and Rights of the Child

Unit 2: Civil Laws
Unit 3: Criminal Process and the Child
Unit 4: Mechanisms for Implementation and Critical Questions

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG 203 Doing Research in Child Rights 4 16

Unit 1: Introducing research on child rights

Unit 2: The research process and practices
Unit 3: Research methods, techniques and tools
Unit 4: Data analysis and report writing

Course code Course Name Credit Contact Hour

DCRG 204 Project/Internship 4 16

Faculty/Staff

Centre Director :
Dr. Rajeev K. Doley, Ph.D (IIT Guwahati)
Education Officer :
Ms. Nandarani Choudhury, M.A. (Eng.) (Calcutta), M.A. (Socio) (Tezpur)

Asst. Education Officer :

Dr. Bhanu P. Gogoi, Ph.D.

Internal Faculty (TU)

Dr. Sumesh S.S., Ph. D., Department of Sociology

Dr. Amiya K. Das, Ph. D., Department of Sociology
Dr. Subhadeepta Ray, Ph. D., Department of Sociology
Dr. Apurba Saha, Ph. D., Department of Social Work
Mr. Rajesh Kalarivayil, M. Phil., Department of Social Work
Ms. Smitha S. Nair, M. Phil., Department of Social Work

Visiting Faculty

Ms. Enakshi Ganguly, Co-Director, HAQ Centre for Child Rights, New Delhi
Ms. Bharti Ali, Co-Director, HAQ Centre for Child Rights, New Delhi
Dr. Ruchira Goswami, Assistant Professor, West Bengal National University of
Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
Mr. Mahesh Menon, Assistant Professor, West Bengal National University of Juridical
Sciences, Kolkata.
Ms. Antara Lahiri, Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF, New Delhi.
Dr. Soumen Ray, PME Officer, Unicef, Assam.