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[3 March 2010] - The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recommended that children below the age of seven years should not be allowed to participate in reality television shows. “The final decision on several other related recommendations will be taken in a couple of days,” NCPCR chairperson Santha Sinha told The Hindu newspaper. The recommendation will be presented to the Union government within the next two weeks. The NCPCR has been working to develop guidelines on how reality television shows affect child rights for the past two years. “We have agreed on fixing the age at seven years. This will be applicable only to reality shows, which are run on a daily basis for long stretches of time, unlike serials or films where the roles are smaller,” Commission member Sandhya Bajaj said. “Reality shows are really stressful for children.” The age limit was suggested by child psychologists present at the meeting. The NCPCR is yet to decide on how to monitor children's involvement in other television shows as the issue falls under the mandate of the Ministries of Labour, Women and Child Development, and Information and Broadcasting. Further information
pdf: http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/radio-and-tv/article125290.ece