‘Smile Udaipur’ Campaign Receives Strong Public Support

Udaipur: The *Smile Udaipur* campaign, being jointly implemented by the District Administration, Police Department, and Child Rights Department, Udaipur, to make the tourism city free from child labour and child begging, is receiving encouraging support from the general public. Shopkeepers have also extended their support by displaying “Child Labour and Child Begging Free Establishment” stickers at their business premises.

Under the directions of District Collector Namit Mehta, the *Smile Udaipur* campaign is being conducted from January 1 to March 31 through the collective efforts of the District Administration, Police Department, Child Rights Department, Udaipur, and the District Legal Services Authority. As part of the campaign, extensive awareness and enforcement activities were carried out during the first week of January at major tourist spots and prominent temple areas of the city. These activities were undertaken by social workers from the Child Rights Department, Child Helpline, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, and leading NGOs including Bal Suraksha Network, Gayatri Seva Sansthan, Aajeevika Bureau, and the Women Safety Research Centre.

Assistant Director, Child Rights Department, and Nodal Officer of the *Smile Udaipur* campaign, K. K. Chandravanshi, informed that between January 1 and 7, operators of more than 500 establishments and shops in Udaipur city extended positive cooperation to the campaign. They declared their premises as child labour and child begging free, affixed the official stickers issued by the department, and submitted affidavits in support of the initiative. Posters, banners, and stickers were also displayed at major intersections and public places to raise awareness among the general public.

During the campaign, rescue and enforcement actions carried out by teams from the Child Rights Department, Child Helpline, and NGOs were geo-tagged, and photographic documentation was done for record purposes.

Several officials and representatives actively participated in the campaign, including Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member K. K. Kumar Kaviya; Assistant Director, Child Rights Department, K. K. Chandravanshi; Child Protection Officer Rajkumar Jeengar; Rekha Meena from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit; Child Helpline District Coordinator Navneet Audichya along with team members; B. K. Gupta, Convener of Bal Suraksha Network; Nitin Paliwal, Programme Coordinator of Gayatri Seva Sansthan; Payal Kaneria, Vivek; Manjari Gupta and Shweta Joshi from Prasa Research Institute; and Pankaj from Aajeevika Bureau.