Lok Sabha Question No. 352 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: Forced Begging of Children
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Kunwar Danish Ali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 352

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  JULY, 2021/ ASHADHA 29,1943 (SAKA)

FORCED BEGGING OF CHILDREN

## 352. KUNWAR DANISH ALI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there are several gangs active in the country that are forcing young  boys  and  girls  to  beg  either  by  kidnapping  the  children  or  by luring their parents;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the total number of cases reported so far and the action taken in these cases; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to prevent the recurrence of such cases in future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

(a) to (c): 'Police'  and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life of citizens, including investigation and prosecution of crime  against  children,  rests  with  respective  State  Governments,  who  are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws.

National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  compiles  crime  statistics reported to it by States and Union Territories (UTs) and publishes the same in its annual publication 'Crime in India'. The latest published report is of the year 2019.

## LS.US.Q.NO.352 FOR 20.07.2021

Specific data in respect of gangs involved in kidnapping children is not maintained  centrally. Details on  total  number  of  cases  registered  for kidnapping and abduction of children for the purpose of begging for the year 2017-2019 as per data published by NCRB is as follows:-

|   Year |   No. of cases |
|--------|----------------|
|   2017 |             72 |
|   2018 |             71 |
|   2019 |             42 |

The Government of India attaches high importance in addressing crime against children and has been supplementing the efforts of State Governments by way of providing them financial assistance to establish and strengthen  the  infrastructure  in  combating  crime  at  various  levels  in  the States  as  well  as  by  providing  them  regular  guidance  and  advice  through various  advisories,  guidelines  and  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOPs) issued from time to time.

A  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  for  tracing  missing  children, prepared  by  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development,  has  been circulated to all States and UTs for dissemination to all stakeholders such as Police,  Child  Welfare  Committees  (CWCs),  Juvenile  Justice  Boards  (JJBs) etc.  This  SOP  lays  down  uniform  guidelines  for  expediting  the  search  and rehabilitation of a missing child all over the country.

## LS.US.Q.NO.352 FOR 20.07.2021

For providing outreach services to missing children and needy children, the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  operates  Child  Helpline  No. 1098, which is operational 24/7. Apart from this, Railway Childlines at major railway platforms are also being operated to provide assistance to any needy child.  The  Ministry  of  Women and Child Development has also developed a national tracking system for missing and vulnerable children namely TrackChild portal, which has been implemented across the country. It also launched  the  'Khoya-Paya'  portal  in  2015,  which  is  an  enabling  platform, where  citizens  can  report  missing  children  as  well  as  sightings  of  their whereabouts without losing much time.

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