MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)
(a) & (b): The Ministry of Women and Child Development does not maintain data about the number of orphan/destitute/neglected and children in difficult circumstances 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. The primary responsibility of execution of the JJ Act lies with the State Governments. However Central Government is executing a scheme namely Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) (now “Child protection Services”) for providing financial assistance to State Governments/UT Administrations, on sharing pattern, for execution of the Act and with the objective to create a safe and secure environment for overall development of children in need of care and protection, including orphan/destitute/neglected children. These include placement in Children Homes if there is no family to look after the said child, or sponsorship support if the child is living with family (financial support for education etc) to ensure that their education can continue in an undisturbed manner.
Under ICPS financial assistance is provided to State Governments/UT Administrations, on sharing pattern for different children including children above 18 years of age and upto 21 years as “After care” services, to help them during the transition from institutional to independent life. The services include housing facilities, vocational training, help to gain employment, counseling and stipend etc.
As per the information provided by the State/UT Governments, as on date, 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 and which are being supported under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) (now “Child protection Services”), 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 8,631 and total number of children residing in these Homes as 2,61,566, details is at Annexure-II.
Apart from this, the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), an autonomous body under Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), has introduced scholarship, under the scheme “Unnati”, through the National Children’s Fund (NCF), children residing in a Child Care Institution (CCI), including orphan or destitute, studying in class 9-12 with a promising performance can get this scholarship. The child having minimum 75% attendance and securing minimum 55% marks in the final examination of the previous class, are considered for inclusion in the merit list of 100 students for each class 9-12. As per the scheme guidelines of “Unnati”, the child should not be receiving any assistance on regular basis from any other sources towards her/his education and should have an Aadhar linked savings bank account in a Nationalized Bank. Fifty percent of the total scholarship money is earmarked for girl students.
The details of funds sanctioned and released to the States Govt./UTs alongwith fund utilized by the them under ICPS (now “Child Protection Services”) during each of the last three years and the current year, State/Union Territory-wise is at Annexure-III.
(c) : Yes, Sir. The financial norms under ICPS (now “Child Protection Services”) was later revised with effect from 1st April, 2014. The key features of the revised Scheme included increased maintenance grant for children in homes, from Rs. 750 to Rs. 2000 per child per month. This has been further enhanced to Rs. 2160 per child per month with effect from 16.11.2017.
(d) : 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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