Lok Sabha Question No. 1489 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Child Begging
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Pratima Mondal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1489 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2021

## CHILD BEGGING

## 1489. SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether cases of involvement of children in begging in all the StatesMUTs of the country have been increasing;
- (6) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor with the number of children below 15 years engaged in begging activities; along
- (c) whether the Government is likely to formulate any effective policy to such children into the main stream of the society; bring
- (d) if s0, the details thereof along with the steps being taken by the Government for rehabilitation of the children involved in begging;
- (e) whether the Government has any data of the number of children involved in begging and if SO, the details thereof; State-wise; and
- if not, whether the Government is likely to conduct any assessment regarding the number of children involved in begging under Integrated Child Protection Scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a) & (b): No sir: As per census data, there has been a decrease in the number of children engaged in begging activity from 1,12,794 in 2001 to 45,296 in 2011.
- (c) & (d): Ministry of Social Justice Empowerment has formulated a scheme "SMILE which includes a subscheme 'Central  Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging' This scheme covers   several   comprehensive measures including welfare are engaged in the act of begging: The focus of the scheme is extensively o rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, basic documentation; and

SO on:    Persons engaged in the act of Begging are to be covered under the scheme.

As per information provided by Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme. The scheme provides financial assistance to the States/UTs o sharing pattern for; inter-alia, undertaking a situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances, for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions   (CCIs) Under the scheme institutional care is provided through CCIs, as a rehabilitative measure. In these CCIs, children are provided age  appropriate  education either   within the institution or   outside in a formal education system through convergence with other schemes and programs of the Government or Under the non-institutional care  component,  support is extended  for adoption, foster care and sponsorship:

Further;  section 2 (14) (ii) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act; 2015 provides that a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force O is found begging, o living on the street is included as a "Child in Need of Care and Protection"'.

(e) & (f: As per the information available on the website of Registrar General of India, Stateattached at Annexure. These figures are based on Census 2011.

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| Name of the StatelUT        | Total 0-I4years)   |
|-----------------------------|--------------------|
| JAMMU & KASHMRR             | 990                |
| Himachal Pradesh            | 178                |
| Punjab                      | 1214               |
| Chandigarh                  | 11                 |
| Uttarakhand                 | 274                |
| Haryana                     | 1,171              |
| NCT of Delhi                | 290                |
| Rajasthan                   |                    |
| Uttar Pradesh               |                    |
| Bihar                       | 3,396              |
| Sikkim                      | 1                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh           | 24                 |
| Nagaland                    | 20                 |
| Manipur                     | 34                 |
| Mizoram                     |                    |
| Tripura                     | 43                 |
| Meghalaya                   | 38                 |
| Assam                       | 686                |
| West Bengal                 | 3,216              |
| Jharkhand                   | 1,254              |
| Odisha                      | 905                |
| Chhattisgarh                | 1,065              |
| Madhya Pradesh              | 2,592              |
| Gujarat                     | 1,982              |
| Daman and Diu               | 8                  |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli      |                    |
| Maharashtra                 | 3,026              |
| Andhra Pradesh              | 3,128              |
| Karnataka                   | 1,602              |
| Goa                         | 24                 |
| Lakshadweep                 |                    |
| Kerala                      | 202                |
| Tamil Nadu                  | 572                |
| Poducherry                  |                    |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands |                    |
| India                       | 45,296             |

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