(a) whether there is inadequacy in Juvenile care and protection schemes of Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof:
(c) whether hardened criminals are forming Juvenile gangs to take advantage of loopholes in the Juvenile Act:
(d) if so, details thereof:
(e) whether there have been regular incidents of escaping of inmates from the observation homes in different parts of the country:
(f) if so, the details thereof, State-wise ; and
(g) the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI KRISHNA TIRATH)
(a)&(b): The Ministry of Women and Child Development has introduced, from 2009-10, a comprehensive umbrella scheme, the ‘Integrated Child Protection Scheme [ICPS]’, in order to provide a safe and secure environment for overall development of children in difficult circumstance. ICPS incorporates the components of three erstwhile schemes namely, ‘A Programme for Juvenile Justice’; ‘An Integrated Programme for Street Children’; and ‘Scheme of Assistance to Homes [Shishu Greh] for Children to Promote In-country Adoption’ with added interventions to address the inadequacies identified in these schemes through detailed evaluations. The scheme provides for setting up of various types of Homes for children and open shelters in urban and semi-urban areas; supports expansion of the emergency services (Childline); and promotes non-institutional care through foster care, adoption, sponsorship and after care.
(c)&(d): The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 is the primary law for the adjudication and disposal of matter relating to children in conflict with law. The law is child friendly and aims at rehabilitation and social integration of the offenders rather than their punishment. The Juveniles are kept in separate homes for juveniles in conflict with law instead of in regular jails, and their cases are handled in specially set up Juvenile Justice Boards. The Act is in conformity with international practice for Juvenile justice as laid down in United Nations Convention on Rights of Child [UNCRC], which was ratified by India in 1993.
(e,(f)&(g): The incidents of children running away from observation homes that have comes to the notice of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in recent past are:
(i) 4 children under trial escaped on 11th March, 2009 from the observation home cum special home at Samoorkalan [Una], Himachal Pradesh.
(ii) 36 children from observation home for boys at Kingsway Camp, Delhi ran away during 2009.
(iii) 112 children escaped from Juvenile homes at Karnataka in 2008-09.
(iv) 9 children from observation homes & special homes at Kerala, ran away in 2009-10.
Remedial measures like strengthening of grills of windows and walls, raising of boundary wall, conducting surprise and regular inspection of Homes, placement of trained and experienced staff, proper counselling to children and involving NGOs in brining attitudinal changes in the children, arrangement for in house education and vocational training, ensuring minimum standards of care i.e. nutrition, education, medical health, recreation, etc. have been taken by the respective State Governments.