Lok Sabha Question No. 1791 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-16
Subject: Abandoned Infants
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Brijendra Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.1791

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2022

## ABANDONED INFANTS

## 1791. SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH:

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

- a.  whether the Government has maintained a record of facilities that currently cater to needs of abandoned infants;
- b.  if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- c. whether  the  Mission  Vatsalya  contains  provisions  for  protection  of  abandoned infants; and
- d.  if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  &  (b)  :  Central  Adoption  Resource  Authority  (CARA)  under  the  Ministry  is  the Statutory  Body  in  adoption  related  matters.  CARA  monitors  the  adoption  of  Orphan, Abandoned & Surrendered (OAS) children with eligible and suitable families, as per the provisions laid down in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ  Act,  2015),  (as  amended  in  2021)  and  Adoption  Regulations,  2022.   As  on 31.03.2022,  4105  children  including  infants  are  residing  in  390  Special  Adoption Agencies (SAAs). State-wise details of children living in SAAs supported under Mission Vatsalya Scheme is at Annexure-I .

(c) & (d) : The Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Mission Vatsalya Scheme to support the State and UT Governments for delivering services for Children in difficult  circumstances  including  abandoned  infants.  The  Child  Care Institutions (CCIs) including SAAs established under the scheme support inter-alia ageappropriate  education,  recreation,  health  care  and  counselling.  Mission  Vatsalya Scheme provides for setting  up  Cradle  Baby  Reception  Centres  in  at  least  one  SAA (preferably government run) per District. The Ministry regularly follows up with the State/ UT Governments so as to ensure that CCIs including SAAs adhere to the standards of care  as  per  the  JJ  Act,  2015  provisions.  Various  advisories  have  been  sent  to  all State/UT Governments regarding mandatory inspection of all CCIs.

ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) AND (B) OF THE LOK SABHA UN-STARRED  QUESTION  NO.1791  FOR  ANSWER  ON  16.12.2022  BY  SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH REGARDING ABANDONED INFANTS

## STATE-WISE  DETAILS  OF  SPECIALISED  ADOPTION  AGENCIES  (SAAs)  AND CHILDREN LIVING IN SAAs (AS ON 31.03.2022)

| Sl. No.   | State                                |   No. of SAAs |   Children living in SAAs |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|---------------|---------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                       |            15 |                       161 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh                    |             2 |                        10 |
| 3         | Assam                                |            18 |                        95 |
| 4         | Bihar                                |            25 |                       169 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh                         |            12 |                       119 |
| 6         | Goa                                  |             2 |                        17 |
| 7         | Gujarat                              |            13 |                        79 |
| 8         | Haryana                              |             6 |                        71 |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh                     |             1 |                        14 |
| 10        | Jammu and Kashmir                    |             2 |                         9 |
| 11        | Jharkhand                            |             9 |                        93 |
| 12        | Karnataka                            |            36 |                       360 |
| 13        | Kerala                               |             8 |                        80 |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh                       |            27 |                       222 |
| 15        | Maharashtra                          |            17 |                       170 |
| 16        | Manipur                              |             9 |                        64 |
| 17        | Meghalaya                            |             4 |                        23 |
| 18        | Mizoram                              |             6 |                        23 |
| 19        | Nagaland                             |             4 |                        10 |
| 20        | Orissa                               |            27 |                       227 |
| 21        | Punjab                               |             6 |                        86 |
| 22        | Rajasthan                            |            33 |                       600 |
| 23        | Sikkim                               |             3 |                        19 |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu                           |            21 |                       210 |
| 25        | Tripura                              |             6 |                        39 |
| 26        | Uttar Pradesh                        |            24 |                       349 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand                          |             5 |                        22 |
| 28        | West Bengal                          |            26 |                       332 |
| 29        | Telangana                            |            14 |                       340 |
| 30        | Andaman & Nicobar                    |             1 |                         0 |
| 31        | Chandigarh                           |             2 |                         4 |
| 32        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu |             1 |                         0 |
| 33        | Ladakh                               |             0 |                         0 |
| 34        | Lakshadweep                          |             0 |                         0 |
| 35        | Delhi                                |             3 |                        69 |
| 36        | Puducherry                           |             2 |                        19 |
|           | Total                                |           390 |                      4105 |

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