Lok Sabha Question No. 4322 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-20
Subject: Child Begging
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Ramashankar  Vidharthi Rajbhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4322

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.12.2024

## CHILD BEGGING

## 4322.  SHRI RAMASHANKAR RAJBHAR:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the incidents of forcing poor children to beg and commit crimes have increased in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the mechanism to create awareness among couples involved in the said practice;
- (d) whether any mechanism is in place to identify people forcing children to commit crimes; and
- (e) if so, the number of actions taken in this regard till date?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

- (a) & (b): No details of incidents of forcing poor children to beg and commit crimes are available.
- (c) to (e): Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements a Central Sector Scheme  'SMILE  -  Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise', which includes sub-scheme for the 'Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging' including children engaged in begging act. The  first stage of the implementation of the sub-scheme  involves  survey/ identification work in 31 identified cities/ towns. So far 352 children of average age group of 6-14 years old have been identified as engaged in the act of begging. All 352 children have been rehabilitated (169 united with parents, 79 sent to Anganwadi, 33 sent to Child Welfare Committee and 71 enrolled with the schools). The scheme provides  for  necessaries  like  food,  shelter  homes,  medical  facilities,  counselling,

rehabilitation, basic documentation, skill development, economic linkages including education to the children/ children of persons found to be engaged in begging.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development administers the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015), which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children. The Act provides  for  protection  of  Children  in  Need  of  Care  and  Protection  (CNCP)  and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) by catering to their basic needs through care, protection, development, treatment and social re-integration. It defines standards of care and protection to secure the best interest of child.

Section 2(14)(ii) of the JJ Act, 2015 provides that a child  who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living on the street is included as a 'Child in Need of Care and Protection'.

Sections 27-30 of the JJ Act, 2015 empowers the Child Welfare Committees to take decisions with regard to the CNCP category of children, keeping their best interest in mind.

The Mission Vatsalya Scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, services are provided to the CNCP and CCL category of children which include both institutional care and non-institutional care services. The scheme provides services to children including child beggars for their rehabilitation and social re-integration into the mainstream of the society. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme support, inter-alia, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. Support under non-institutional care is provided by way of sponsorship, foster care and after care to children in need of care and protection.

The Ministry conducts meetings/ trainings/ workshops from time to time with the State  and  UT  Governments  to  strengthen  implementation  of  Mission  Vatsalya Scheme  at  the  field  level.  The  State  Child  Protection  Society  and  District  Child Protection Units at the State and District levels provide day to day monitoring of the scheme.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has developed and shared with the States/ UTs, Standard Operating Procedure on 'Children in Street Situations (CiSS) 2.0' in the identified districts to ensure zero tolerance on Child begging/ Child labour/ Child abuse.

*****