Lok Sabha Question No. 4757 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-23
Subject: Education to Destitute Children
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.4757 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2020

## Education to Destitute Children

## † 4757.  SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the provisions for providing education to destitute children;
- (b) whether the Government has reviewed the said provisions;
- (c) if so, the time period of the said review along with the outcomes thereof; and
- (d) the reaction of the Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (d):  The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, is applicable  to  all  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs)  and  mandates  the  appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age of 6 to 14 years in a neighborhood school. For facilitating the education of children at  the  elementary level, the Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha has been encouraging and assisting the States in ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education as mandated under RTE Act, 2009. Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and majority of schools being under the jurisdiction of the State Governments, it is for the respective State Government to take appropriate action in this regard in respect of their schools.

Further,  The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has  informed  that Section 2(14) (vi) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act), defines  children  in  need  of  care  and  protection  (CNCP)  as  ones  who  does  not have parents and no one is willing to take care of, or whose parents have abandoned or surrendered him. The primary responsibility of execution of the Act lies with the State/ Union  Territories  (UTs).  However,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme (erstwhile Integrated  Child  Protection  Scheme)  for  supporting  the  CNCP  including  destitute children. Under  the CPS  scheme  institutional  care  is  provided  through  Child  Care Institutions (CCIs), as a rehabilitative measure. Under the scheme, Sponsorship support (financial support for education, etc.) is provided to CNCP 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. 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 CCIs, including destitute, studying in class 9-12 with a promising performance can get this  scholarship.  The primary responsibility of implementation of the Scheme lies with the State/UTs.

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