Meghalaya child panel flags illegal groups sending minors out of state; seeks SoPs

Shillong, Dec 3: The Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has sounded an alarm over organisations allegedly operating without legal sanction and sending children outside the state under the guise of providing education.

MSCPCR Chairperson Agatha Sangma, on Tuesday, said the commission has found that several groups are sending minors to institutions outside Meghalaya without registration or approval from district authorities.

“Some of these children are being sent outside the state on the pretext of education, however these organisations are not registered and are operating illegally,” she said.

The commission has written to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, urging the government to frame a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) to regulate the process.

“The purpose of these SoPs is to ensure that our children go safely to these institutions, and it should be done in a more transparent and coordinated manner,” Sangma said, adding that the protocols would apply strictly to children below 18 years of age.

She stressed that any organisation sending minors out of the state must first operate legally.

Agatha specifically flagged the Lei Synshar Cultural Society, which she said was not functioning with proper approvals despite sending children for studies outside Meghalaya.

She urged parents and the wider community to remain vigilant to ensure the safety and security of children.

The call for SoPs comes against the backdrop of the rescue and repatriation of 24 children from Meghalaya who were traced to the Sowmya Kesanupalli Student Home in Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka.

The children, aged between eight and thirteen, were brought back recently after authorities found their accommodation did not meet required standards. The matter is now before the Karnataka High Court.

The children hail from multiple districts, ten from East Khasi Hills, seven from East Jaintia Hills, six from West Jaintia Hills, and one from West Khasi Hills.

According to officials, they had been sent to Karnataka in June 2025 by the Lei Synshar Cultural Society, which reportedly required parents to pay only a travel donation, while promising free school and hostel facilities.

Director of Social Welfare Camelia Doreen Lyngwa said the department is working in “mission mode” under Mission Vatsalya to ensure the rescued children receive proper care, protection, accommodation and food.

She thanked the Karnataka government for flagging the issue promptly and coordinating with Meghalaya authorities.

Lyngwa also urged parents to exercise caution, noting that many had little knowledge of the institutions where their children had been sent.

The MSCPCR reiterated that unless comprehensive SoPs are put in place and enforced, the safety and wellbeing of children being taken out of the state will continue to remain at risk.