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[6 January 2010] - The need for a minimum age for children to appear on television shows has been raised following the suicide of 11-year-old Neha Sawant. Neha allegedly committed suicide because her parents prevented her from participating in a reality television show. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had recommended a minimum age of 16 a year ago but, no decision has yet been taken. "Nothing is fixed about the age issue yet," Sandhya Bajaj, member of NCPCR. "We are getting various experts to give their opinion on the right age. Some people say that children below 16 should be allowed, but some say that barring children below eight years of age would do us no good. So, we are contemplating that 10-12 years should be a good age when we can allow children to take part in reality shows," she added. Though Bajaj did not wish to link Sawant's case to the recommendations, she stressed that the organisation is seeking feedback on the guidelines from school principals, teachers and psychologists. "I can't comment on Neha's case because we don't have the details about the case yet. It is not even confirmed whether the child took the step because she was denied permission to take part in reality shows or not. But yes, we are trying to gather input from a lot of people regarding the right guidelines for children's involvement in TV shows," she said. "Apart from the fact that there should be an age constraint, I feel it is essential for all TV shows to have psychologists and counsellors on the set to provide counselling for children who leave the show. The child then begins to understand that he or she will always have another chance," added Bajaj. The NCPCR is hoping to receive feedback by February this year which it will then present to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Further information