Lok Sabha Question No. 2119 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-29
Subject: Fatalities of Children in Adoption Centres
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2119 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2022

## FATALITIES OF CHILDREN IN ADOPTION CENTRES

## 2119. PROF. SOUGATA RAY

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

- (a) the number of children who died in adoption centres during the last three years in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government ascertained the reasons behind the fatalities of children in adoption centres;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  and  the  outcome  thereof  along  with  the  action  taken  on  such adoption centres during the said period; and
- (d) the  other  measures  being  taken  to  ensure  the  welfare  of  children  in  adoption centres?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  Under  the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and  protection  of  Children)  Act,  2015 (Sections  27-30),  the  Child  Welfare  Committees  have  been  empowered  to  take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection, keeping their best interest in mind. They are also mandated to monitor the functioning of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs).

At the national and  state level, the JJ Act, 2015  provides the National/State Commissions for Protection of  Child  Rights  to  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  Act (Section 109). The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was constituted in 2007 to ensure protection of rights of all children.

Under section 54 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) 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.  Also  section  32  to  34  of  JJ  Act,  2015  mentions  the  procedure  for mandatory reporting including offence for non-reporting and penalty. In the amendments  made  to  the  JJ  Act  in  2021,  the  District  Magistrates  have  been  given powers of overall supervision of Child Care service delivery institutions in the district, which also includes regular inspection of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) in the district.

The number of children who died in adoption centres during the last three years in the country,  State/UT-wise,  as  reported  in  the  Child  Adoption  Resource  Information  & Guidance System (CARINGS) portal, is at Annexure-I. The Ministry regularly follows up with the State/ UT Governments so as to ensure that CCIs including the Specialised Adoption Agencies adhere to standards of care as per the  JJ  Act,  2015  provisions.  Various  advisories  have  been  sent  to  all  State/UTs regarding  mandatory  inspection  of  all  CCIs.  Further,  the  number  of  child  deaths  in adoption agencies have reduced during the last three years due to rigorous follow up and timely monitoring as mandated under JJ Act, 2015 and rules thereof. (d)  Funds  are  provided  to  the  Specialised  Adoption  Agencies  and  other  CCIs  under Mission Vatsalya for comprehensive care of children residing in institutions.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2119 FOR ANSWER ON 29.07.2022 BY PROF. SOUGATA RAY REGARDING FATALITIES OF CHILDREN IN ADOPTION CENTRES

## STATE/UT-WISE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO DIED IN ADOPTION CENTRES DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS IN THE COUNTRY

| Sl. No.   | Name of State                          |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1.        | Andaman &Nicobar Island                |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 2.        | Andhra Pradesh                         |        11 |         6 |         5 |
| 3.        | Arunachal Pradesh                      |         1 |         0 |         0 |
| 4.        | Assam                                  |         8 |         2 |         8 |
| 5.        | Bihar                                  |        26 |        14 |        13 |
| 6.        | Chandigarh                             |         0 |         0 |         1 |
| 7.        | Chhattisgarh                           |        11 |         9 |         2 |
| 8.        | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 9.        | Delhi                                  |         2 |         7 |         3 |
| 10.       | Goa                                    |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 11.       | Gujarat                                |         9 |         9 |        12 |
| 12.       | Haryana                                |         1 |         2 |         1 |
| 13.       | Himachal Pradesh                       |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 14.       | Jammu and Kashmir                      |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 15.       | Jharkhand                              |         8 |        10 |         6 |
| 16.       | Karnataka                              |        19 |        22 |        16 |
| 17.       | Kerala                                 |         2 |         1 |         0 |
| 18.       | Ladakh                                 |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 19.       | Lakshadweep                            |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 20.       | Madhya Pradesh                         |        14 |         3 |         4 |
| 21.       | Maharashtra                            |        23 |        13 |         1 |
| 22.       | Manipur                                |         1 |         0 |         0 |
| 23.       | Meghalaya                              |         0 |         1 |         0 |
| 24.       | Mizoram                                |         0 |         0 |         1 |
| 25.       | Nagaland                               |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 26.       | Orissa                                 |        16 |        12 |        13 |
| 27.       | Pondicherry                            |         1 |         1 |         0 |
| 28.       | Punjab                                 |         6 |         2 |         1 |
| 29.       | Rajasthan                              |        30 |        21 |        13 |
| 30.       | Sikkim                                 |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 31.       | Tamil Nadu                             |        21 |        17 |         4 |
| 32.       | Telangana                              |        17 |         7 |        10 |
| 33.       | Tripura                                |         1 |         0 |         2 |
| 34.       | Uttar Pradesh                          |        45 |        19 |        10 |
| 35.       | Uttarakhand                            |         0 |         0 |         0 |
| 36.       | West Bengal                            |         9 |         4 |         6 |
| Total No  | Total No                               |       282 |       182 |       132 |

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