(a) whether the Government has made any survey/census of street children across the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
(b) whether it is true that budgetary allocations for street children are under-spent;
(c) if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(d) the number of street children died during the last three years across the country?
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *417 for answer on 23.03.2018 raised by Shrimati Sajda Ahmed regarding “Survey of Street Children”.
(a) to (d): The Ministry of Women and Child Development does not maintain data about the number of street children in the country. However, Central Govt. has re-enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) for children in conflict with law (CCL) and children in need of care and protection (CNCP). The CNCP category includes orphan/destitute/neglected and children in difficult circumstances. As per Section 2 (14) (ii) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living on the street is included as a “child in need of care and protection”, among others. The primary responsibility of execution of the Act lies with the State/UTs. However, Central Government is managing Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) now “Child Protection Services” under Integrated Child Development Services, and providing financial assistance to the States/UTs on sharing pattern for, inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of CCIs. Under the scheme institutional care is provided through 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, support is extended for adoption, foster care and sponsorship. Further National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory organization under this Ministry, has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for care and protection of Children in Street Situations to streamline the processes and interventions regarding children in street situations.
As per the information provided by the State/UT Governments, the number of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) registered under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000/2015 in the country alongwith the number of children residing in these institutions, supported under ICPS is at Annexure-I. Section 41 of the Act also requires that all CCIs meant for covering children in need of care and protection (CNCP) or conflict with law (CCL) and shall be registered under this Act by the State Govt. The various State Govt. /UT, with respect to Writ Petition No.102 of 2007 Exploitation of Children in Orphanages in State of Tamil Nadu Vs. UOI & Ors, in Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has reported total number of CCIs (either registered or not registered), upto 16.03.2018, as 8631 and total number of children residing in these Homes as 2,61,566, details is at Annexure-II.
The details of the budgetary allocation and actual expenditure under ICPS from 2009-10 onwards is as follows:
Year Allocation
(Rs. In Crore) Actual Expenditure (Rs. In Crore)
BE RE
2009-10 BE-60 RE-50 42.63
2010-11 BE-300 RE-100 115.14
2011-12 BE-270 RE-213.40 177.54
2012-13 BE-400 RE-273.20 259.09
2013-14 BE-300 RE-270 265.78
2014-15 BE-400 RE-450 448.43
2015-16 BE-402.23 RE-498.57 497.30
2016-17 BE-400 RE-610.22 575.96
2017-18 BE-648 RE-648 585.86 as on 19.03.2018
As per Section 54 of the JJ Act, all State Govt./UTs appoint Inspection Committee for the State and district. Further, as per Section 54 (2) such inspection committees shall mandatorily conduct visits to all facilities housing children in the area allocated, at least once in three months in a team of not less than three members, of whom at least one shall be a woman and one shall be a medical officer, and submit reports of the findings of such visits within a week of their visit, to the District Child Protection Units or State Government, as the case may be, for further action. And as per Section 54 (3), on the submission of the report by the inspection committee, appropriate action shall be taken within a month by the District Child Protection Unit or the State Government and a compliance report shall be submitted to the State Government.
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