Lok Sabha Question No. 4903 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: Juvenile Observation Homes
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Pinaki Misra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4903

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.03.2023

## JUVENILE OBSERVATION HOMES

## 4903.  SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

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

- (a) the number of Juvenile Observation Homes along with their residential capacity and number of residents therein, State/UT-wise ;
- (b) whether there are States with no Juvenile Observation Homes ;
- (c) if so, details thereof and reasons therefor ;
- (d) whether there are stipulated parameters for facilities to be made available at Juvenile Observation Homes ; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and percentage of Juvenile Observation Homes that comply with the set standards and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) : As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) (as amended in 2021), the Child Care Institutions (CCIs) for children in conflict  with  law  includes  Observation  Homes  for  temporary  reception,  care  and rehabilitation of any child alleged to be in conflict with law, during the pendency of any inquiry under the Act.  The CCIs including observation homes  normally accommodate 50 children, however, for North Eastern States, Himalayan States and Hilly areas in other States, CCIs with capacity of 25 children are supported, as per the need of the states. State-wise list of Juvenile Observation Homes along with residents therein (as on 31.03.2022) is at Annexure-I.

(d) & (e): The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (as  amended  in  2022)  provides  under  Rule  29  to  Rule  40  the  parameters  and standards of care for the facilities to be made available in CCIs including Observation Homes such as segregation of children as per age, sex, maintaining adequate lighting, heating and  cooling arrangement,  ventilation, safe drinking  water,  clean  and accessible gender and age appropriate and disable friendly toilets, clothing, bedding, toiletries  and  other  articles,  minimum  nutritional  standards  and  diet  scale,  medical care, education, vocational training, recreational facilities etc.

As per Section 106 of the JJ Act, 2015, the primary responsibility of implementation of the JJ Act, 2015 including providing of facilities and maintaining of standards of care for CCIs including Juvenile Observation Homes lies with the State/UT Governments.

Under  section  54  of  the  JJ  Act,  2015,  the  State  Governments  have  to  appoint Inspection  Committees  and  under  section  53,  to  assess  the  basic  facilities  and infrastructure of the Institution for maintaining their standards. As per JJ Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), District Magistrates have been empowered as the nodal authority in district for children in need of care and protection.

The data regarding percentage of Juvenile Observation Homes that comply with the set standards is not maintained centrally however the Ministry regularly follows up with the State/ UT Governments to ensure that CCIs adhere to standards of care as per the  JJ  Act,  2015  provisions.  Various  advisories  have  been  sent  to  all  States/UTs regarding mandatory inspection of all CCIs.

Further, the Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Mission Vatsalya through State and UT Governments for providing support to set up CCIs including  Observation  Homes  for  delivering  services inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, etc. for Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) residing in these Homes.

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ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4903 FOR ANSWER ON 31.03.2023 BY SHRI PINAKI MISRA REGARDING JUVENILE OBSERVATION HOMES

## STATE-WISE LIST  OF  JUVENILE  OBSERVATION  HOMES  ALONG  WITH  RESIDENTS THEREIN (AS ON 31.03.2022)

| Sl. No.   | State/UT                             | Observation Home   |   Beneficiaries/ Residents |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|--------------------|----------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                       | 12                 |                        158 |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 1*                 |                          3 |
| 3         | Assam                                | 5                  |                        150 |
| 4         | Bihar                                | 20                 |                       1019 |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh                         | 13                 |                        296 |
| 6         | Goa                                  | 2                  |                          1 |
| 7         | Gujarat                              | 6                  |                        160 |
| 8         | Haryana                              | 3                  |                        103 |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh                     | 2*                 |                         20 |
| 10        | Jammu and Kashmir                    | 2                  |                         43 |
| 11        | Jharkhand                            | 13                 |                        718 |
| 12        | Karnataka                            | 17                 |                        142 |
| 13        | Kerala                               | 8                  |                        200 |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh                       | 18                 |                        254 |
| 15        | Maharashtra                          | 55                 |                       1932 |
| 16        | Manipur                              | 4                  |                         34 |
| 17        | Meghalaya                            | 3                  |                         15 |
| 18        | Mizoram                              | 8                  |                         61 |
| 19        | Nagaland                             | 12                 |                         71 |
| 20        | Odisha                               | 7*                 |                        587 |
| 21        | Punjab                               | 4                  |                        191 |
| 22        | Rajasthan                            | 34                 |                        441 |
| 23        | Sikkim                               | 2                  |                         10 |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu                           | 8                  |                        329 |
| 25        | Tripura                              | 3                  |                          7 |
| 26        | Uttar Pradesh                        | 26                 |                       2260 |
| 27        | Uttarakhand                          | 10                 |                         84 |
| 28        | West Bengal                          | 7                  |                        176 |
| 29        | Telangana                            | 3                  |                         75 |
| 30        | Andaman & Nicobar Islands            | 1*                 |                          2 |
| 31        | Chandigarh                           | 1                  |                         24 |
| 32        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 0                  |                          0 |
| 33        | Ladakh                               | 0                  |                          0 |
| 34        | Lakshadweep                          | 0                  |                          0 |
| 35        | NCT of Delhi                         | 4                  |                        196 |
| 36        | Puducherry                           | 2                  |                          7 |
| Total     | Total                                | 316                |                       9769 |

* Observation cum Special Homes.
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