Lok Sabha Question No. 2008 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-06
Subject: Child Welfare and Protection
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri E T Mohammed Basheer, Shri Amarsing Tisso

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2008

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2024

## CHILD WELFARE AND PROTECTION

## 2008.   SHRI AMARSING TISSO: SHRI E T MOHAMMED BASHEER:

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

- (a) the details of the steps taken/proposed by the Government to address child malnutrition and healthcare needs for children in underserved areas including Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao district of Assam;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  ensuring  that  child  protection  laws  are  being strengthened  and  enforced,  to  prevent  abuse,  trafficking  and  child  labour especially in Karbi Anglong in Assam;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of the steps being taken to improve access to quality education for girls, especially in rural areas?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  Under  the  15th  Finance  Commission,  various  components  like  Anganwadi services,  Poshan  Abhiyaan  and  Scheme  for  Adolescent  girls  (of  14-18  years  in Aspirational  Districts  and  North-Eastern  region)  have  been  subsumed  under  the umbrella  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  (Mission  Poshan  2.0)  to address  the  challenge  of  malnutrition.  This  is  a  self-selecting  (no  entry  barriers) scheme available to all the eligible beneficiaries who enroll at the Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) and is being implemented in all States/UTs including Karbi Angling and Dima Hasao districts of Assam.

Under  Mission  Poshan  2.0  a  new  strategy  has  been  made  for  reduction  in malnutrition and for improved health, wellness and immunity through activities like community engagement, outreach, behavioral change, and advocacy. It focuses on  Maternal  Nutrition,  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  Norms,  treatment  of Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  (SAM)/  Moderate  Acute  Malnutrition  (MAM)  and wellness  through  AYUSH practices to reduce prevalence of wasting, stunting, anaemia and being underweight.

Under this scheme, Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls to beat the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition  by  adopting  a  life  cycle  approach. Supplementary  nutrition  is  provided  in  accordance  with  the  nutrition  norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act. These norms have been revised and upgraded last year. The old norms were largely calorie-specific; however, the revised norms are more comprehensive and balanced in terms of both quantity and quality of supplementary nutrition based on the principles of diet diversity that provides quality protein, healthy fats and micronutrients.

Fortified rice is being supplied to AWCs to meet the requirement of micro-nutrients and to control anaemia among women and children. Greater emphasis is being laid on the use of millets for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal at least once a week and Take Home ration at Anganwadi centers.

Ministries of Women & Child Development and Health & Family Welfare have jointly released the protocol for Community Management of Malnutrition (CMAM) to  prevent  and  treat  severely  acute  malnutrition  in  children  and  for  reducing associated morbidity and mortality.

Nutrition goes beyond mere eating of food; it requires proper digestion, absorption, and  metabolism  which  are  influenced  by  factors  like  sanitation,  education  and access  to  safe  drinking  water  etc.  The  challenges  of  malnutrition  is  being addressed under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 by establishing cross cutting convergence amongst 18 Ministries/Departments.

Under Mission Poshan 2.0, one of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy leading to Jan Andolan to educate people on  nutritional  aspects.  State  and  UTs  are  conducting  and  reporting  regular sensitisation activities under community engagement programmes during Poshan Maahs  and  Poshan  Pakhwadas  celebrated  in  the  months  of  September  and March-April  respectively.  Community  Based  Events  (CBEs)  have  served  as  a significant strategy in changing nutritional practices and all Anganwadi workers are required to conduct two Community Based Events every month.

(b) and (c) The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021) which  is  the  primary  legislation  for  ensuring  the  safety,  security,  dignity  and wellbeing of children.

Further,  this  Ministry  is  implementing  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  namely 'Mission Vatsalya' to support the State Governments and UT Administrations for delivering  services  for  Children  in  Need  of  Care  and  Protection  (CNCP)  and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL) under Institutional and Non-Institutional Care.

Also, the Ministry in collaboration with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie has developed an online training module on Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection for Children) Act, 2015 for capacity building of multiple stakeholders such as State Governments/ UT Administrations, district authorities and others.

## Further details on the initiatives by the Ministry are at Annexure.

(d) The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  (DoSEL),  Ministry  of Education is implementing an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for School education-Samagra  Shiksha.  The  scheme  treats  school  education  holistically, without  segmentation  from  pre-primary  to  class  XII  and  is  in  accordance  with Sustainable  Development  Goal  for  Education  (SDG-4).  The  scheme  provides support for the implementation of the RTE Act. The scheme of Samagra Shiksha has been aligned with National Education Policy, 2020 with focus on improving the quality  of  education  through  various  measures  such  as  introduction  of  new pedagogical  and  curricular  structure,  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy and Transforming Assessment for Student Development, Experiential and Competency based Learning, etc.

Under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for providing various facilities to the children for implementing the Right of Children to Free  and  Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009.  Bridging  gender  and  social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of Samagra Shiksha. The scheme reaches out to girls, and children belonging to SC, ST, minority communities and transgender. In order to ensure greater participation of  girls  in  school  education,  various  interventions  have  been  targeted,  which include opening of schools for girls, free uniform and text-books to girls up to Class VIII, additional teachers and residential quarters for teachers in remote/hilly areas, appointment of additional teachers including women teachers, stipend to CWSN girls  from  class  I  to  class  XII,  separate  toilets  for  girls,  menstrual  hygiene (incinerator etc.), teachers sensitization programmes to promote girls participation, gender-sensitive  teaching-learning  materials  including  text  books,  self-defense training. In addition, to reduce gender gaps at all levels of school education and ensure access and quality education to girls, under Samagra Shiksha, there is a provision  of  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas  (KGBVs)  which  are  residential schools  for  girls  from  class  VI  to  XII  from  age  10-18  years  belonging  to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL).

Also, under the Scheme financial assistance is provided to the State and UTs for Universalization  of  School  Education  including  opening/strengthening  of  new schools up to senior secondary level, construction of school buildings & additional classrooms, development/strengthening of school infrastructure in northem border areas  under  Vibrant  Village  Program,  setting  up,  up-gradation  and  running  of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, construction of hostels for PVTGs under PMJANMAN,  setting  up  of  Netaji  Subhash  Chandra  Bose  Avasiya  Vidyalayas, construction  of  hostels  under  Dharti  Aaba  Janjatiya  Gram  Utkarsh  Abhiyan  for unsaturated  ST  population,  reimbursement  under  RTE  Act,  various  qualitative components, strengthening of teacher education and strengthening of DIETs/BRCs/CRCs, provision of ICT, Smart Class and digital interventions.

*****

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b  and  c)  OF  LOK  SABHA QUESTION NO. 2008 FOR 6.12.2024 REGARDING 'CHILD WELFARE AND PROTECTION'  ASKED  BY  SHRI  AMARSING  TISSO  AND  SHRI  E  T MOHAMMED BASHEER

## (i) Mission Vatsalya

As per Mission Vatsalya Scheme guidelines, States and Districts are mandated to execute a 24x7 helpline service for children as defined under the JJ Act, 2015. The Child  Helpline  (CHL)-1098  has  been  integrated  for  synergies  with  Emergency Response Support System-112 (ERSS-112) Helpline of Ministry of Home Affairs through State/UT Control Rooms. It has also been integrated with Women Helpline 181.

The Ministry constantly engages with the States/ UTs from time to time as regards implementation  of  Mission  Vatsalya  Scheme.  The  Ministry  has  issued  various advisories and held Zonal Conferences and Sensitization/ Dissemination Workshops under the Scheme for supporting on ground implementation.

The initiative taken under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme includes collaboration with National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Neurosciences  (NIMHANS),  Bangalore under 'SAMVAD' (Support Advocacy & Mental Health Interventions for Children in Vulnerable  Circumstances  and  Distress).  SAMVAD  works  in  areas  of  Mental Health,  Care  &  Protection,  Education  and  Policy  &  Law.  Various  training  and capacity building programmes have been conducted for child protection functionaries and others stakeholders across the States/ UTs.

## (ii)  Initiatives  undertaken  by  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child Rights (NCPCR) to combat trafficking are as follows:

1.  Conducted  a  national  level  multi-stakeholder  'E-Consultative  Meeting  to Combat Child Trafficking Post Lockdown Situation due to COVID-19' on 8th May, 2020 comprising of representative from the NITI Aayog, SCPCRs, Police, State  CID,  Anti  Human  Trafficking  Units  and  experts  in  the  field  of  Human Trafficking.
2.  NCPCR has started to drive a periodic campaign on combating child trafficking viz., ' बाल तस्करी से आज़ादी '. This campaign was started on 1st August 2022 in 75 bordering Districts of India, in commemoration of World Day against Human Trafficking observed on 30th July each year. As an extension of this campaign, this year the Commission is holding similar such campaigns in 100 bordering and adjoining districts of India.
3.  The  Commission  has  set  up  a  Quick  Response  Cell  (QRC)  to  deal  with instances of children getting trafficked or missing as reported to the Commission from time to time.
4.  A month-long pan-India rescue & rehabilitation of Child & Adolescent Labour Campaign was conducted from 20th November 2023 till 10th December 2023 wherein total 1464 children & Adolescents have been rescued.
5.  Special Rescue Initiatives:
- i. A  significant  rescue  operation  was  conducted  at  International  Agro  Food,  a slaughterhouse in Dasna, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh through which 57 children were rescued from exploitative conditions in May 2024.
- ii. Another  rescue  mission  was  conducted  at  Som  Distilleries  in  Sehatganj, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh through which 59 children were rescued from dire conditions out of which 43 were minor.
- iii. The  Go  Home  and  Reunite  (GHAR)  portal  has  been  developed  to  digitally monitor and track the restoration and repatriation of children according to the protocol.
- iv. Additionally  following  monitoring  portals  have  been  developed  to  cater  to different categories of children in India
- a. MASI- Monitoring App for Seamless Inspection
- b. Baal Swaraj Portal- Covid Care
- c. Baal Swaraj Portal- CISS
- d. Baal Swaraj Portal- Citizen Login (Portal)
- e. Tracking Portal for out of School Children
- f. POCSO Tracking Portal
- g. NCPCR's Management Information System (MIS) Portal
- h. POCSO E-Box
- i. E-baalnidaan

## (iii) Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012:

The  Government  accords  highest  priority  for  ensuring  safety  and  security  of children and has undertaken various initiatives in this regard. To safeguard children against sexual abuse and sexual harassment, Government has enacted Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The act defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.

The Act was  amended in 2019 to introduce more stringent punishment including death penalty for committing sexual crimes on children, with a view to deter the perpetrators & prevent such crimes.

For example in case of penetrative sexual assault, Section 4 prescribes a penalty of imprisonment for a minimum of  10 years which may extend to imprisonment for life and also liable to fine. If the penetrative sexual assault is on a child below 16  years,  imprisonment  for  a  minimum  of  20  years  which  may  extend  to imprisonment for the remainder of natural life, shall also be liable to fine. In case of  aggravated  penetrative  sexual  assault,  Section  6  prescribes  imprisonment  a minimum of 20 years which may extend to imprisonment for life for the remainder of  natural  life,  fine  or  with  death.  Section  8  provides  for  punishment  for  sexual assault, which is imprisonment for a minimum of 3 years which may extend to 5 years and fine while for aggravated sexual assault Section 10 increases this to a minimum of 5 years which may extend to 7 years. The Act also includes Section 14,  which  imposes  up  to  7  years  of  imprisonment  for  using  children  for pornographic purposes.

Additionally, the Act mandates special courts for speedy trials under Section 28; ensuring cases are handled with the utmost urgency and sensitivity, reflecting the law's zero-tolerance approach to crimes against children.

Further the POCSO Rules, 2020 were also notified by the Ministry to protect the children from exploitation/violence and sexual exploitation. POCSO Rules under Rule-3 provides that any institution housing children or coming in regular contact with children including schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children must ensure a police verification and background check on periodic basis, of every staff, teaching or non-teaching, regular or contractual, or any other person being  an  employee  of  such  Institution  coming  in  contact  with  the  child.  Such Institution shall also ensure that periodic training is organized for sensitizing them on child safety and protection.

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) from the financial year 20232024, has also introduced a centrally funded scheme namely 'Scheme for Care and Support to Victims under Section 4 & 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual  Offenses  (POCSO)  Act,  2012'  from  NIRBHAYA  Fund  to  address  the challenges faced by the minor pregnant girl child victims for implementation by the State/UT Governments. The main objectives of this Scheme are:

- i. To provide integrated support and assistance to minor pregnant girl child victims under one roof;
- ii. To facilitate their immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services for long term rehabilitation in terms of:
- access to education,
- police assistance,
- medical (also comprising maternity, neo-natal and infant care),
- psychological, mental health counselling,
- legal support,
- non-institutional care support, place of stay in Child Care Institutions/Aftercare facilities, and health insurance cover for the girl child victim and her new-born baby under one roof to enable access to justice to such victimized girls.

*****