Lok Sabha Question No. 2133 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: Child Beggars
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.2133

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2022

## CHILD BEGGARS

## 2133.  DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:

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

- (a) the measures being adopted by the Government to provide institutional framework to stop child beggars in the country treating them under the category of Children in Need of Care and Protection;
- (b) impact of poverty on the condition of child beggars in the country;
- (c) the financial grants and money spent to stop the begging in the country; and
- (d) the other steps being taken by the Government to stop begging and protect child rights in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d) :  Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has formulated a scheme 'SMILE Support  for  Marginalized  Individuals  for  Livelihood  and  Enterprise',  which  includes  subscheme titled 'Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging'. The scheme  provides  for  necessaries  like  food,  shelter  homes,  medical  facilities,  counselling, rehabilitation, basic documentation, skill development, economic linkages including education to the children/ children of persons found to be engaged in begging.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme  namely  Mission  Vatsalya  Scheme  under  which  financial  assistance  is  provided  to States  and  UT  Governments  for  delivering  services  for  children  in  need  and  difficult circumstances. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the scheme provide/support the children staying in CCIs, boarding & lodging; age-appropriate education; access to vocational training; recreation; health care; counselling; etc.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children. The Act provides for protection of children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law by catering to their basic needs  through care,  protection,  development,  treatment  and  social  re-integration.  It  defines standards of care and protection to secure the best interest of child.

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 or is found begging, or living on the street is included as a 'Child in Need of Care and Protection'.  The JJ Act, 2015 also provides for punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and fine with one lakh rupees in the case of employment of child for begging.

Under the JJ Act, 2015 (Sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees  have been empowered  to  take  decisions  with  regard  to  the  children  in  need  of  care  and  protection, keeping their best interest in mind. They are also mandated to monitor the functioning of the Child  Care  Institutions  (CCIs).  At  the  national  and  state  level,  the  JJ  Act  authorizes  the National/State  Commissions for Protection of Child Rights to monitor the implementation of the Act (Section 109).