Lok Sabha Question No. 2105 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Children Orphaned due to COVID-19
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Agatha K. Sangma, Srinivas Kesineni, Ramesh Bidhuri, Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam, Jayadev Galla, Arjunlal Meena, Dushyant Singh, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2105

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2021

## CHILDREN ORPHANED DUE TO COVID-19

## 2105.  KUMARI AGATHA K. SANGMA :

SHRI KESINENI SRINIVAS :

SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI :

SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM :

SHRI JAYADEV GALLA :

SHRI ARJUN LAL MEENA :

SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH :

SHRI RAM MOHAN NAIDU KINJARAPU :

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

- (a) whether the Government has estimated the number of children orphaned as a result of loss of one or both parents due to COVID-19;
- (b) if so, the details thereof state/UT-wise along with criteria/mechanism adopted to identify the same and if not the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of such children exposed to trafficking, state/UT-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  scheme/programme  including institutional support for the welfare and protection of these children and if so, the details  thereof  indicating  the  amount  spent  in  this  regard  and  the  number  of children benefitted therefrom;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  encourage  adoption  of  these children by civil society, if so, the details thereof and number of children adopted so far and if not the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the  data  regarding  number  of  children  adopted  and  children  returned  by  the adopting parents during the period 2015 to 2021 ?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) : The Hon'ble Prime Minister has announced PM CARES for Children scheme to support children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive  parents  due  to  COVID-19  pandemic.  The  scheme  is  accessible  through  an online portal i.e. pmcaresforchildren.in . The  applications of such children are uploaded on the portal by the respective State/ UT Governments.  As on 08.12.2021, 5714  applications  have  been  uploaded  on  the  portal  out  of  which,  3258  applications have been approved by District Magistrates after due process and 542 applications are pending for approval.

(d)  :  The  Ministry  is  implementing  a  centrally  sponsored  scheme  namely  Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme under which support is provided to States and UT Governments  for  delivering  services  for  children  in  need  of  care  and  in  difficult circumstances. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support  inter-alia  age-appropriate  education,  access  to  vocational  training,  recreation, health care, counselling etc.  As per the scheme guidelines, quantum of sponsorship of Rs. 2000/- per child per month is available for Non-institutional Care of children in Need of Care and Protection and the provision for maintenance grant of Rs. 2160/- per child per month for children living in Child Care Institution.  During the last three years period an  amount  of  Rs.  2189.76/-  Crores  has  been  released   under  the  scheme  with  total 2,30,063 number of beneficiaries.

(e) : The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Adoption Regulations 2017 establish a framework for the rehabilitation of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children which include cases where children have lost both the parents owing to Covid-19. The Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit are entrusted with the placement of such children for adoption and rehabilitation. Besides, Central  Adoption  Resource  Authority  (CARA)  and  State Adoption  Resource  Agency  (SARA)  are  also  mandated  under  JJ  Act,  2015  for facilitating adoption related matters of children.

(f)  :   As  informed  by  Central  Adoption  Resource  Authority  (CARA),  11331  number  of adoptions  have  been  reported  through  the  Child  Adoption  Resource  Information  and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal for the period from 2018-19 to 2020-21.  All efforts are made for enabling adoption of children by the other waiting parents registered on the portal.

*****