(a) the data regarding the currently missing children in the country;
(b) the number of cases registered at police stations for missing children during the last three years, State-wise;
(c) the number of children handed over to their parents after tracing them and the number of cases undertrial in this regard, State-wise; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to trace out the remaining missing children?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)
(a) to (c): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes information on crime in its publication “Crime in India”. Published reports are available till the year 2018. As per the published information, State/Union Territory–wise details of missing children at beginning of the year, missing during the year, total children missing, children traced during the year and children remained untraced during the year 2016-2018 are at annexure.
(d): ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibilities to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and
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prosecution of crime against children rest with the respective State Governments. The State Governments are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued detailed advisory to the States and UTs, inter-alia emphasizing that in case of complaint with regard to any missing children made in a police station, the same should be reduced into a First Information Report and appropriate steps should be taken to see that follow up investigation is taken up immediately thereafter. This advisory is available at www.mha.gov.in.
The Ministry of Women & Child Development in order to provide outreach services to the missing children or needy children, operates Child helpline No. 1098 which is operational 24x7. The Ministry of Women & Child Development also supports Railway Childlines on major Railway Stations for providing assistance to any needy child. Further, the Ministry of Women & Child Development has developed a national tracking system for missing and vulnerable children i.e. TrackChild Portal which has been implemented across the country. The URL of the TrackChild is www.trackthemissingchild.gov.in. The Ministry of Women & Child Development had also launched Khoya-Paya platform on 2nd June, 2015 which is an enabling platform, where citizens can report missing children as well as sightings of their whereabouts. Details of children who have been found, can also be reported on this platform. Khoya-Paya has been integrated as a module under TrackChild.
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Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tracing missing children has also been circulated to all the States and UTs for their further dissemination to all other stakeholders such as Police, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards etc. The SOP lays down uniform guidelines for expediting the search and rehabilitation of missing children all over the country.
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