Question : MISSING CHILDREN

(a) whether the cases of missing children and child abuse are on the rise in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the number of such cases reported, separately, during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(c) whether the Union Government has any proposal to develop a National Data Base on missing children;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the directives issued to the State Governments for uploading of relevant data on missing children; and

(e) the measures taken by the Government to check such cases in future?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)

(a) to (e) As per information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), data regarding missing, traced and untraced children for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively is given in Annexure I.

The data regarding total number of cases on abuse of children, as provided by NCRB, collated under rape and exposure and abandonment of children, States/ UT – wise for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively are given in Annexure II.

Ministry of Home Affairs have issued a detailed advisory on missing children-measures including those needed to prevent trafficking and steps to be taken for tracing the children on 31st January, 2012. It also includes computerization of records, involvement of NGOs and other organizations, community awareness programmes etc.

Ministry of Home Affairs has also circulated a comprehensive pro-forma to States / UTs on missing children for better matching of missing and found children ZIPNet (Zonal Integrated Police Network), a project is approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs was introduced in the year 2004. It contains modules like missing Children, Children found, un-identified dead bodies for use in public/police domain.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development under consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs is also developing a National Portal for tracking of ‘missing’ and ‘found’ children.