KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said children are 'foundation of country's future', insisting need to create a suitable environment for them to get educated.

At a programme jointly organised by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and Central Child Welfare Board on the occasion of National Children's Day-2073, President Bhandari laid stress on need for everyone's focus on suitable familial environment for children's education and good health.

"We have to invest in education and good health for their physical and mental development," President Bhandari said.

Children are the sources of multiple talents and they should be provided with special care and attention from before they are born while ensuring their access to education and health, she said.

Saying that children are still deprived of basic fundamental rights like that of health and education, she called for ending child trafficking and abuse and stopping the punishments meted out to them in the name of discipline.

She also stressed the need of acknowledging past mistakes in the sector of child rights and implanting provisions of child rights in the Constitution.

Likewise, Minister for Youth and Sports Daljit Sripaili, at the event, said the government would continue to focus on children's rights to education, health and their holistic development.

President of Women, Children, Social Welfare and Senior Citizens Committee Ranju Thakur Jha said children were still being tortured in the name of discipline and it must be stopped. She was of the view that effective measures should be taken to fight against child and women trafficking.

Board chair Dilliram Giri said the Board activities were completely focused on protecting and promoting child rights.

Student Sewa Kumari Yadav drew the government attention towards less access of girls to health, education and other state facilities.

The Constitution has defined child rights in the fundamental rights. Nepal is celebrating September 14 every year as the National Children's Day, to commemorate Nepal's adoption of the United Nation's Convention on Rights of the Child in 1990.