HC asks Delhi govt to give status and time for filling vacant posts in DCPCR

The Delhi High Court has directed the city government to apprise it of the status and the period within which vacancies in the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) will be filled.

The High Court reminded the Delhi government of the warning issued by it in its February 18, 2026 order that in case the process of filling vacancies is not completed, the matter will be viewed “seriously”.

“We direct the Secretary of Women and Child Development Department of NCT of Delhi to file an affidavit as regards the status and period within which the vacancies of the DCPCR shall be filled.

“Let the affidavit be filed before this court in any case by November 18, 2026,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma said in its October 30 order.

The court’s attention was also drawn to the configuration and the availability of the members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), as advocate Prabhsahay Kaur informed the bench that the NCPCR is working only with one chairperson and no other members.

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The court also directed the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to file an affidavit regarding this query.

Regarding the sanctioned capacity of observation homes in Delhi, Kaur also apprised the court that these institutions are overflowing at present and the number of children in observation homes is more than double the capacity.

As such, the logistics, support, standards and facilities are short, she submitted.

To this, the bench said, “We are of the view that the issue should be dealt with by a counter affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary, Delhi government”.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 20.

The court, earlier on several occasions, expressed displeasure over the city government’s failure to appoint the chairperson and members in the DCPCR despite its assurance to fill the vacant posts.

It had observed that it was at a “complete loss for words” on the authorities’ failure to ensure that the commission remained functional after 2023.

The court was dealing with a batch of petitions on deficiencies in implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act.

In one of the petitions filed in 2024, petitioner National Child Development Council said that the DCPCR was functioning without a chairperson since July 2, 2023 and keeping the post vacant for so long was clearly a violation of the provisions of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights Rules.