Call for Participation in the 9th Conference of the International Society for Child Indicators by NLUO [Feb 14-16]: Register Now!

About NLUO

The National Law University Odisha (NLUO) was established in the year 2009 under The National Law University Orissa Act, 2008 (Act 4 of 2008) passed by the Odisha State Legislature and commenced its academic activities in the academic year 2009-10.

The University has received recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956, and has been receiving grants under the XIIth Plan. The degrees offered are recognised by the Bar Council of India. It is also an associate member of the UGC-INFLIBNET, and a participant in the National Knowledge Network under the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication, Government of India.

About the Conference

The ISCI 2024 Conference on ‘Global Childhoods: Critical Perspectives Promoting Theoretical, Empirical and Policy Understandings’ seeks to examine government policies and programs that have succeeded in promoting the well-being of children.

There will be deliberations on changes in policies and programs for better results by incorporating the voices of children in consonance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognising the Right of Participation of children relating to decisions affecting them. The event will provide a more critical view on the assessment of the rate of progress in the state of Odisha, India, and other countries in terms of the SDG goals to be achieved by 2030.

Themes and Sub-themes

Essence of Childhoods

Universalism of Values vis-à-vis Cultural Relativism
Childhoods in Countries with Varying Economic Status
Socio-Cultural Understandings of Childhood
Legal Understandings of Childhood
Psychological Understandings of Childhood
Gendered Childhoods
Childhoods in Marginalised Communities

Children’s Wellbeing and Happiness

From Children’s Welfare to Children’s Wellbeing
Understanding Wellbeing and Happiness
Wellbeing Indicators: Children vis-à-vis Adults
Happiness Indicators: Children vis-à-vis Adults
Role of Child Rights in Promoting Wellbeing and Happiness
Best Practices for Promoting Children’s Wellbeing and Happiness
Role of Child Indicators Research in Influencing Public Policy
Methodologies for Understanding Children’s Wellbeing and Happiness

Health of Children

Health Indicators for Children
Children’s Experience with Healthcare Services
Access to Healthcare Facilities: Public vis-à-vis Private
Schemes, Policies and Programs Affecting Children’s Health
Cultural Practices Affecting Children’s Health (Circumcision, Female Genital Mutilation etc.)
Growing Up in a Technological Environment
Health of Children in Difficult Circumstances:
- Substance Abuse
- Domestic Violence
- Sexual Exploitation/Violence/Abuse
- Spatial Constraints
- Child Labour
- Children With Disabilities
- Being a Girl Child
- Mental Health Issues
- Children in Institutional Care

Children’s Education

What do Children want to learn?
Sites of Learning: Homes, Neighbourhood, Schools, Child Care Institutions, Popular Culture
How do Children want to Learn?
Schemes and Initiatives for Children’s Education
Alternative Education for Children
Education in Natural Disasters
Accessibility to Education
Inclusivity in Education

Food and Child Wellbeing

Access to Food
Addressing Malnutrition
Child Targeted Advertising: Marketing of Junk Food
Breast Milk Substitutes
Nutrition in Child Care Institutions

Children’s Freedom of Choice

Evolving Capacities and Children’s Opinion
Balancing Children’s Privacy and Parental Control
Sexual Autonomy
Child Marriage
Manipulating Children’s Choice: The Effect of Tobacco Advertising

Basic Rights for Children’s Happiness and Wellbeing

Right to Survival
Right to Family
Right to Identity
Right to Development
Right to Protection
Right to Participation
Children in Difficult Circumstances
Harmonising the Basic Rights
Children and Environmental Harm

Children’s Access to Justice

Understanding Children’s Access to Justice
Child Advocacy
Children’s Voices in the Institutional Decision-Making
Legal Aid for Children
Support System in Legal Proceedings

Submission Guidelines

Guidelines for submission of abstracts are listed below

The Abstract must be written only in English. The word limit for abstract is 250-600 words.
Submissions must be made only through the abstract Submission Portal mentioned on the Website (link is provided below this post).
All submissions should be original. If you intend to have your paper considered for publication, on the conference site or special issue, please make sure that your submission is not simultaneously considered by any other publication.
Every abstract must be accompanied by a cover page containing the name, affiliation and contact details of the author (s). In the case of co-authorship, these details must be mentioned in the order of publication. The cover page should also contain details of the indicated theme and sub-theme. The aforementioned information must be provided ONLY on the cover page and must not appear elsewhere in the submission document.
Submissions of up to 2 (two) abstracts per registration as the first author will be allowed, with no limitation on co-authorship. An author whether as first author or as co-author can make a maximum of two presentations.
Some abstracts may be accepted for poster presentation rather than paper presentation. If the author(s) agree to the poster presentation they may register for the conference.
Abstracts must be submitted in a uniform format comprising the following components:
- Thematic importance: the abstract should briefly discuss the relevance of the submission with the theme of the conference.
- Introduction and objectives: the abstract should highlight the central issue, objective(s) sought to be achieved, research questions and/or hypothesis.
- Method: the abstract must explain the study design, a description of the participants and sampling methods, procedures for data collection/ measures, and an analytical and/or statistical approach.
- Results: the abstract should summarise findings.
- Conclusion and a Way Forward: the abstract must describe the outcomes of the study, the practice and policy implications and include suggestions for future research.
The spelling and grammar must be carefully checked, as the specific nomenclature must be respected. The reviewers will evaluate the abstract on the following parameters.
- General coherence.
- Relevance.
- Methodology.
- Presentation of results.
- Adequate conclusion.

Guidelines for submission of the paper are listed below

The paper must be original and free from plagiarism.
It should be in English.
The length of the full paper, including tables, diagrams, illustrations, references, etc. should be between 8000 to 10000 words.
It should be submitted only through the submission portal. (link provided below this post)
It should be accompanied by a cover page containing the name of the author(s), affiliation and contact details. Such details should not be written elsewhere.
It should also contain details of the indicative theme or sub-theme of the Conference.
The paper should be in (.doc) or (.docx) format.
The font should be Times New Roman 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing.
Footnotes shall be in Times New Roman 10-point font with single-line spacing.
All citations should be placed in footnotes (and not endnotes) and shall conform to the APA style 7th Edition, 2022.
Authors will get about 10 minutes to present their paper. Any number of authors can present the paper at the conference within the same duration.

These guidelines apply also to the papers submitted as part of the panels. The authors will also be apprised of the results through e-mail. The annals of the Conference will be online and will be published on the event website. Each work will be entitled to 1 (one) certificate, including the name of all authors.

Registration Details

Registration Fee (in USD)
Dates & Categories		Early Bird	Regular	Late/On-site Registration
Dates & Categories		Up to 17 October 2023 23:59 hours IST	11 October 2023 to 14 January 2024	15 January 2024 onward
Non-Indians	ISCI Member	355	370	410
	Non-ISCI Member	375	430	470
	Graduate Students	265	290	310
Indians	ISCI Member	215	235	260
	Non-ISCI Member	260	295	320
	Graduate Students	180	210	230

All registered persons will be provided with a Certificate of Participation. There is a nominal registration fee of Rs. 3000/- per person for the full conference. This will give them access to conference materials, Lunch and a participation certificate. Travel, boarding (except lunch) and lodging, if required, will have to be borne by the participants themselves.

Important Dates

Last date for submission of abstracts and panel proposals- 14/07/2023
Last date for submission of full paper and posters for the Conference (Optional)- 10/01/2024
Last date for submission of the revised paper for publication- 15/04/2024