Shantha Sinha (born 7 January 1950) is an Indian anti-

child labour Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...

activist. She is the founder of Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiya Foundation, popularly known as MV Foundation (which is named in memory of her grandfather Mamidipudi Venkatarangaiah), and is a professor in the Department of Political Science in

Hyderabad Central University The University of Hyderabad (UoH) is a prestigious Public university, public Central university (India), central research university located in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Established in 1974, this mostly Residential college, resid ...

. She headed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights for two consecutive terms (three years each); The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, an Act of Parliament (December 2005). Sinha was its first chairperson. She was awarded the civilian honour of

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

by the Government of India in 1998.

Early life

Shantha Sinha was born on 7 January 1950 in

Nellore district Nellore district, officially known as Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district in Coastal Andhra Region, is one of the 26 districts in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. According to the 2011 Census, the district's population was 2,963,557 of which ...

of coastal

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. She completed her early schooling in St. Ann's High School, Secunderabad After obtaining a master's degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Osmania University Osmania University is a collegiate university, collegiate Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, issued a ''firman'' calling f ...

in 1972, she earned her doctorate from

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU; ISO: Javāharalāla Neharū Viśvavidyālaya) is a public research university located in Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university ...

in 1976 and joined the faculty of the University of Hyderabad.

Career

Sinha is an academic with Hyderabad Central University. In 2003, she was given the

Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, ...

for Community Leadership, in recognition of her work in "guiding the people of AP to end the scourge of child labour and send all of their children to school". She has also been awarded the

(1999), and the Albert Shanker International Award (1999) from

Education International Education International (EI) is a global union federation (GUF) of teachers' trade unions consisting of 383 member organizations in 178 countries and territories that represents over 32 million education teachers and education support personnel fr ...

. She has also been awarded with Hyderabad Women of the Decade Achievers Award for Social Service by ASSOCHAM Ladies League. A rights activist, her contribution to a phenomenal reduction in child labour in nearly 1200 villages of Ranga Reddy district in Telangana is perhaps unparalleled. Recognizing her work, the Government of India appointed her as the first chairperson of the newly formed NCPCR. Sinha, Chairperson of the

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is an Indian statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. The Commission works under the aegis of Ministry of ...

NCPCR
advocated amendment of the Child Labour Act and also requested for including adolescent labourers under its purview in presence o
Yogesh Dube
Member o
NCPCR
and Neela Gangadharan, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, in a function organised by

ILO The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

, NCPCR and United Nations Children's Fund on the occasion of Anti-Child Labour Day.

References

External links

''Tough action sought against child labour on farms'', The Hindu, 10 October 2006
*
Interview, "Education, an antidote to child labour", OneWorld South Asia, 19 June 2010

MV Foundation

NCPCR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinha, Shantha Indian women academics Indian women activists Indian children's rights activists People from Hyderabad, India Ramon Magsaysay Award winners Living people 1954 births Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work 20th-century Indian women scientists 20th-century Indian educational theorists Osmania University alumni 21st-century Indian women educational theorists 21st-century Indian educational theorists Women scientists from Andhra Pradesh Activists from Andhra Pradesh Women educators from Andhra Pradesh Educators from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian women educators