Lok Sabha Question No. 225 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-02
Subject: Higher Education for Orphans
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE, BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.225

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2018

## HIGHER EDUCATION FOR ORPHANS

225.     SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE: SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI PATIL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is any special schemes, programmes, scholarships etc. for providing higher education for orphans;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  number  of  orphans  benefited  therefrom  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, State/UT-wise; and
- (d) the further measures taken by the Government to help orphans in getting education and employment  and  the  details  of  quota  for  orphans  in  allotment  of  housing/gas/petrol pumps?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a) to (c)   No, Madam.
- (d) T he Government has enacted Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015,  by  repealing  Juvenile  Jusstice  Act  2000 ,  for  children  in  conflict  with  law  and children  in  need  of  care  and  protection,  which  includes  Orphan,  Abandoned  and Surrendered  child. The  primary  responsibility  of  execution  of  the  Act  lies  with  the State/UTs.  However,  Central  Government  is  running  ICPS  (now  'Child  Protection Services'  under  Integrated  Child  Development  Scheme),  since  2009-10,  and  providing financial  assistance  to  the  States/UTs  on  sharing  pattern  for,  inter-alia,  undertaking  a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, including Orphan, Abandoned  and  Surrendered children. Under the scheme Sponsorship support (financial support for education etc) is provided, if the child is living with family, or the child is placed in Children Homes, if there is no one to look after the child or child is in need  of  care  and  protection, to  ensure  that  their  education  can  continue  in  an undisturbed manner. The programmes and activities in Children Homes inter-alia include age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. Further ICPS also provides for 'After care' services after the age of 18 years  to  help  sustain  them  during  the  transition  from  institutional  to  independent  life.

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.

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