CHILD PROStrrUTlON The grave issue of child prostitution has been a major concern of the Commission owtr a number d years. The Commission has, accordingly, been interactingwith the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of India, the National Commission k r Women and UNICEF to evolve measures to deal with this problem. 8.1 In order to better cuordinate efforts, the Commission constituted a Core-Group on 8.2 Child Prostitution under the Co-Chairmanship of Justice Sri V.S.Malimath and Sri Virendra Dayal, Members of the Commission. The other members of the Core Group include the Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW), the Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, representativesfrom UNICEF and the Director General {Investigation) of the Commission. To start with, the Commission selected Delhi and Karnataka State (Belgaurn and Dharwar Districts) to launch a major media campaign on the subject. The campaign in Delhi commenced on 10 September 1998, with the release of posters 8.3 prepared by UNICEF. These were displayed in a number of prominent sites and locations around the city. Numerous NGOs cooperated enthusiastically with the effort. In a meeting held on 22 February 1999, a number of additional decisbns were taken with a view to spreading awareness among the public. These included: 8.4 To convene a meeting with all private television channels to persuade them to take up the awareness spreading campaign against child prostitution. UNICEF would examine how best the poster campaign in Delhi could be extended to other areas. The Delhi Administration would take measures to ensure that cinema halls displayed appropriate slides to increase awareness on the subject. The Poster campaign wouid also focus on tourist resorts, which were regrettably often involved in child prostitution. It was consideredessential that tourists should be aware that child prostitution was a crime punishable under the law. The Commission also held a meeting of the Core Group on 11 March 1999. Participants 8.5 in this meeting included the Chairperson, NCW, the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government. and representatives from the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India, UNICEF, All-India Radio, doordarshd lice. The decisions included the the D,, following: w