Question : Missing Children

a) whether the Government has taken note of the increasing rate of missing children and their trafficking in the country, particularly by organized gangs and if so, the details thereof;
b) whether the Government has set up web portals to track missing and found children in the country and if so; the details thereof;
c) the number of website hits so far regarding the number of missing children reported/uploaded on the web portals, along with the number of children rescued/tracked so far with their help, State/UT-wise;
d) the reasons identified behind the cases of missing children along with the number of cases reported and the persons arrested/convicted during each of the last three years and the current year State/UT-wise;
e) the measures taken by the Government for rehabilitation and education of such children; and
f) the further measures taken by the Government in coordination with the other Ministries/Departments and States/UTs to prevent cases of missing children and their trafficking?

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a): As per information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the State- wise and gender-wise data on the number of children missing, traced and untraced during the last three years (2013-15) is at Annexure-I.

(b): The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed web portals “TrackChild” and “Khoya-Paya” to track the missing and found children. The Khoya-Paya has been integrated as citizen corner on TrackChild portal.

(c): The number of website hits reported on TrackChild portal from January, 2012 to November, 2016 (till date) are 12,13,82,364. The details of the number of missing children reported and uploaded on the portals along with number of children tracked so far with their help, State/UT-wise is at Annexure-II & III respectively.

(d): As per NCRB the details of the number of the cases reported, persons arrested/convicted is at Annexure-IV. Some of the reasons behind the cases of missing children could be
kidnapping, abduction, trafficking, illegal adoption, run away children and natural calamities.

(e): The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is implementing a centrally sponsored Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for the improvement in the well being of children in difficult circumstances. Under ICPS, financial assistance is provided to the States/UTs for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of Homes including Children Homes and Specialised Adoption Agencies. Under ICPS institutional care is provided through Child Care Institutions (CCIs). As a rehabilitative measure in these CCIs, children are provided age appropriate education either within the institution or outside in a formal education system through convergence with other schemes and programs of the Government or civil society. Under the non-institutional care component, ICPS provides support for adoption, foster care and sponsorship.

(f): The Ministry has been implementing these web portals in association with various stakeholders including Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Railways, State Governments/UT Administrations, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, National Legal Services Authority, etc. Further Ministry is also collobarating with Ministry of Railways to rescue and rehabilitate children in difficult circumstances who come in contact with Railways by setting up child help desks at platforms, so far they have been formed at 33 major stations.

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