Lok Sabha Question No. 3710 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Rehabilitation of Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Veena Devi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.3710

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2022

## REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN

## 3710. SHRIMATI VEENA DEVI :

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

- (a) whether the Government in coordination with the State, has taken concrete steps to  prevent  crimes  such  as  foeticide,  infanticide,  human  trafficking  and  child marriage and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the Government  is  contemplating  to  formulate any  plan  for the rehabilitation of victims of traffacking and child marriage in coordination with the States;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the amount allocated by the Government for the rehabilitation of such people?

## ANSWER

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

(a)   to  (c)  : The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  implementing  the centrally sponsored 'Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme' for rehabilitation of children  in  difficult  circumstances.  Under  CPS  scheme,  financial  assistance  is provided to the State Governments/UT Governments for providing services which include institutional care, non-institutional care, and support for capacity building, human  resources  etc.   The  Government  is  committed  to  provide  security  net  of statutory  and  service  delivery  structures  to  the  children  in  need  of  care  and protection and children in conflict with law.

The Ministry of Women & Child Development implements Ujjawala scheme for combating trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, with five specific components - Prevention, Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-Integration and  Repatriation  of  victims  of  trafficking.   The  scheme  has  been  conceived primarily for the purpose of preventing trafficking on the one hand and rescue and rehabilitation  of  victims  on  the  other.  The  scheme  provides  for  rehabilitation  of victims by providing food, shelter, counseling, medical  care, legal aid  and vocational  training  as  well  as  their  re-integration  in  the  society.  There  are  107 Protective and Rehabilitative Homes in the country.

The Ministry  has  also  enacted  the  Prohibition  of  Child  Marriage  Act  2006 with the objective to prohibit child marriages rather than only restraining them. The Act prohibits the solemnization of child marriages where a person who, if a female has not completed 18 years of age and if a male has not completed 21 years of age. As per provisions of the Act, child marriage is a cognizable and non-bailable offence.  Further,  the  Ministry  undertakes  awareness  exercise  for  safety  and security of women and children from time to time including on the matters of child marriages and human trafficking.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is committed towards improving the Child  Sex  Ratio  and  is  tirelessly  working  towards  accelerating  the  progress towards reaching a healthy sex-ratio at birth. With a view to address the issue of Sex  selection/  determination  leading  to  female  foeticide,  Government  of  India enacted the  Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PC & PNDT Act 1994) for the prohibition of sex selection before or after conception, and for regulation of diagnostic techniques potential of sex selection/ determination and prevention of their misuse for sex determination/ selection. Further, Government of India has adopted a multi-pronged strategy entailing schemes and programmes for awareness generation and advocacy measures to build a positive environment for the girl child through gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislation.

As informed by National Commission  for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR),  various  activities  and  programmes  have  been  undertaken  to  prevent crimes on child trafficking and child marriages such as, sensitization workshops in various  Source  Transit  and  Destination  Hotspot  Districts  of  North-East  Region, 'National Level Multi-stakeholders E-Consultation Meeting to Combat  Child Trafficking Post Lockdown Situation due to COVID-19' virtually on 8 th May 2020, programme called 'Samvardhan' meant for mapping of children and their families vulnerable to child trafficking post lockdown situation due to Covid-19 pandemic, NCPCR and Young Lives India released National Analysis of Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy' based on NFHS-4 (2015-16) on 11 th September 2018, etc.

(d)  :  The  grant  released  to  States/UTs  during  the  current  year  under  Child Protection  Services  Scheme  -  Mission  Vatsalya  for  providing  institutional  care, non-institutional care, and also rehabilitation of children in difficult circumstances is Rs.567.86 Crores (as on 23.03.2022).

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