2025 Sees Strong Progress on Child Protection in Kangpokpi District

The year 2025 was a crucial year for Kangpokpi District in terms of child protection. The Integrated Rural Management Association is closely coordinating with district administration, law enforcement agencies and community leaders. Out of these, more than 5000 children were given awareness on both Child Marriage and trafficking in the district.

Integrated Rural Management Association is a partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC), one of the country’s largest child protection networks, comprising over 250 NGO partners working across 451 districts to safeguard children’s rights and prevent crimes against them. Working on its 3P model of Prevention, Protection and Prosecution, the network stopped 1,98,628 child marriages and rescued 55,146 children from trafficking since January 2025. Out of the trafficked children rescued from across the country, 40,830 were boys and 14,316 were girls. A total of 42,217 cases of child trafficking were initiated.

Speaking about the impact of coordinated action, T. Lamjaneng Haokip, Director of Integrated Rural Management Association said, “2025 was a landmark year for us in terms of child protection. Working closely with district administrations, police officials, village authority and teachers, who has made a visible difference on the ground. Children are among the most vulnerable in our society, and while rescuing them is critical, it is only the first step. Ensuring their rehabilitation, their return to school, and supporting vulnerable families through welfare schemes is essential if we want to break the cycle of poverty, child labour, and child marriage.”

Along with other JRC partners across the country, the NGO has been working intensively towards ending child marriage by 2030, rescuing children from labour, and identifying cases of inter-district and inter-state child trafficking for labour, marriage, and prostitution. The network works closely with law enforcement agencies, including the Railway Protection Force, and relies on its strong network support to ensure timely intervention.

Given the fact that faith leaders are the ones who solemnize marriage in every religion, the network has engaged over three lakh faith leaders from different religions across the country to convey that child marriage is a punishable offence, and that no religion or faith sanctions this crime. A large number of religious places in the district have put up posters declaring that child marriage is not permitted in their premises. Working in close coordination with the district administration on the government’s 100-day intensive campaign under ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ the NGO has been reaching out to caterers, tent suppliers, tailors, etc. who provide services during marriages and are critical touchpoints in prevention of child marriages.