Question : Juvenile Homes

a) the number of Juvenile homes opened by the Government along with the details of the developmental schemes being run in these juvenile during the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise including Rajasthan;
b) whether Government is aware of incidents of harassment, sexual exploitation of children and increasing reports of instance of juveniles escaping from these juvenile homes/correctional homes;
c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
d) whether the Government has issued advisory with regards to proper functioning of these juvenile homes and also under taken a review of the conditions of living for inmates in juvenile homes across the country, if so, the details thereof; and
e) if not, the reasons therefor and other corrective measures taken by the Government to address the said issue?

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) under which financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for setting up and maintaining various Child Care Institutions (CCIs) including Observation Homes, Special Homes either by themselves or through Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). The number of Observation Homes and Special Homes funded under ICPS during the last three year and current year is at Annexure-I. Various rehabilitative and re-integration measures are provided in these CCIs including vocational training, counseling, non formal education etc.



(b) &(c): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has reported that it has registered 77 complaints/cases concerning child abuse/sexual exploitation / torture / ill-treatment /disappearance/ running away of children / lack of residential facilities and other regularities committed in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) including Observation and Special Homes across the country during the last three years and current year 2015-16. The State/UT-wise details are given in Annexure-II

(d) & (e): The primary responsibility of effective functioning of the Child Care Institutions(CCIs) including homes for children in conflict with law vests with the State Governments/ UT Administrations concerned, the Government of India has recently enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, (JJ Act) which has come into effect from 15th January, 2016 repealing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The Ministry has been requesting the State Governments/UT Administrations from time to time to identify and register all CCIs under relevant provisions of JJ Act and set up functional inspection and other Committees to ensure that children in all the CCIs receive the best of care, and are not subject to any kind of abuse and neglect.


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