Lok Sabha Question No. 1841 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-02
Subject: Children Orphaned due to COVID Pandemic
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, Adv. Adoor Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1841 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2024

## CHILDREN ORPHANED DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC

1841. ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH: SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

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

- (a) the details of supportive measures taken by the Government for the children orphaned due to COVID pandemic;
- (b) whether measures for free education have been taken for such children, if so, the details thereof indicating  the  number  of  such  children  getting  free education, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the number of children who lost both parents due to COVID pandemic, Statewise;
- (d) the  number  of  children  who  lost  one  parent  due  to  COVID  along  with  the supportive  measures taken by the Government for such children, State/UTwise;
- (e) whether the Government has taken any steps to collaborate with child care institution to foster the children who were abandoned, orphaned or lost a parent due to COVID pandemic; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (c): The Hon'ble Prime Minister announced PM CARES for Children scheme on 29.05.2021  to  support  children  who  lost  both  parents  or  surviving  parent  or  legal guardian  or  adoptive  parents  due  to  COVID-19  pandemic  during  11.03.2020  to 05.05.2023.  The  objective  of  the  Scheme  is  to  ensure  comprehensive  care  and protection of Children in a sustained manner and enable their well being through health insurance,  empower  them  through  education  and  equip  them  for  self-sufficient existence with financial support till 23 years of age. The scheme is accessible through an online portal i.e. www.pmcaresforchildren.in .   Benefits under the Scheme have been given to 4532 eligible  children  so  far.  State-wise  list  of  eligible  children  is  at Annexure-I .

Further, a pro-rata amount is credited in the post office account of each identified child in such a manner that the corpus for each child becomes Rs.10 lakhs at the time of attaining 18 years of age. Children are entitled to receive monthly stipend between the age of 18 and 23 years, by investing the corpus of Rs.10 lakhs into Monthly Income Scheme of Post Office.  They are  entitled  to  receive  the  amount  of  Rs.10  lakh  on attaining the age of 23 years. Children below the age of 18 years, who are staying with their relatives, receive Rs. 4000/- per month under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme of this Ministry. The children staying in child care institutions are provided boarding and lodging facilities on govt. cost.

Under the scheme, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education is entrusted with the task to ensure that all beneficiaries in the schooling age group are enrolled in schools.  In order to facilitate admission of these children, additional seats @ 10 children per Kendriya Vidyalaya subject to maximum of 2 children per class were sanctioned in the Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country and beneficiaries are exempted from payment of fee from Class I to XII. Also, provisions are made for admission in the nearest Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya or Private Schools and given benefits of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Further, scholarship of Rs.20,000/- are provided to all school going children of class IXII. Children are also assisted in obtaining education loan for Professional courses / Higher Education in India. All children have been enrolled under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri - Jan Arogya Yojna (AB PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh. The coverage of health insurance is provided till they attain the age of 23 years.

Children can also avail the benefits of 'Swanath Scholarship Scheme for Students' which is being implemented by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to study  further  in  AICTE  approved  Institutions  and  courses.  Under  the  scheme, Rs.50,000/-  per  annum  is  provided  to  each  student  for  every  year  of  study  (i.e. maximum 4 years for first year admitted Degree students and maximum 3 years for Diploma Students) as lump sum amount towards payment of college fee, purchase of computer, stationery, books, equipment, software etc.

(d)  to  (f):  The  National  Commission  for  Protection  of  Child  Rights  (NCPCR)  is mandated to monitor the implementation of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)  Act, 2015, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO)

Act, 2012 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

NCPCR has devised an online portal Baal Swaraj to do real time monitoring of children and keeping in view of the COVID pandemic, a link called COVID care link on the portal had been developed. All States/UTs were directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in  Suo  Moto WP (C) No. 4 of 2020 to upload the data of children who had become orphans or lost either of the parent to COVID pandemic or otherwise on the Baal Swaraj Portal post March 2020. As per the Baal Swaraj COVIDCARE data, the State/UT-wise number of children who lost one parent due to COVID is at Annexure -II . Further, all the children in distressed situations including those affected by COVID19 pandemic merit care and protection under the provisions of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of  Children)  Act, 2015.  The  Act  and  Rules made thereunder mandate provision of a safety net of service delivery structures along with institutional and non-institutional care for these children.

The Ministry  is  implementing  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  namely  'Mission Vatsalya'  (erstwhile  Child  Protection  Services  Scheme),  through  the  State/  UT Governments  on  cost  sharing  basis  for  delivering  services  to  children  in  difficult circumstances which include services of institutional and non-institutional care. 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 state sponsorship, foster care and after care to children in need of care  and  protection. The  Mission  aims  to  Support  and  sustain  Children  in  difficult circumstances; develop context-based solutions for holistic development of children from varied backgrounds; provide scope for encouraging innovative solutions and to cement convergent action.

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ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) OF THE LOK SABHA UN-STARRED  QUESTION  NO.1841  FOR  ANSWER  ON  02.08.2024  BY  ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH AND SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY REGARDING CHILDREN ORPHANED DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC

|   Sl. No. | State/UT                           |   Beneficiaries approved by district collectors under PM CARES for Children scheme |
|-----------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | ANDHRA PRADESH                     |                                                                                351 |
|         2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                  |                                                                                  8 |
|         3 | ASSAM                              |                                                                                 55 |
|         4 | BIHAR                              |                                                                                 82 |
|         5 | CHANDIGARH                         |                                                                                 12 |
|         6 | CHHATTISGARH                       |                                                                                109 |
|         7 | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI & DAMAN & DIU |                                                                                 12 |
|         8 | DELHI                              |                                                                                153 |
|         9 | GOA                                |                                                                                  6 |
|        10 | GUJARAT                            |                                                                                227 |
|        11 | HARYANA                            |                                                                                 95 |
|        12 | HIMACHAL PRADESH                   |                                                                                 25 |
|        13 | JAMMU AND KASHMIR                  |                                                                                 18 |
|        14 | JHARKHAND                          |                                                                                 49 |
|        15 | KARNATAKA                          |                                                                                231 |
|        16 | KERALA                             |                                                                                119 |
|        17 | MADHYA PRADESH                     |                                                                                433 |
|        18 | MAHARASHTRA                        |                                                                                855 |
|        19 | MANIPUR                            |                                                                                 21 |

| 20.   | MEGHALAYA     |   14 |
|-------|---------------|------|
| 21.   | MIZORAM       |   14 |
| 22.   | NAGALAND      |   14 |
| 23.   | ODISHA        |  112 |
| 24.   | PUDUCHERRY    |   13 |
| 25.   | PUNJAB        |   42 |
| 26.   | RAJASTHAN     |  210 |
| 27.   | TAMIL NADU    |  426 |
| 28.   | TELANGANA     |  257 |
| 29.   | UTTARAKHAND   |   44 |
| 30.   | UTTAR PRADESH |  467 |
| 31.   | WEST BENGAL   |   58 |
|       | Total         | 4532 |

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## ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (D) TO (F) OF THE LOK SABHA UN-STARRED  QUESTION  NO.1841  FOR  ANSWER  ON  02.08.2024  BY  ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH AND SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY REGARDING CHILDREN ORPHANED DUE TO COVID PANDEMIC

| Baal Swaraj COVIDCAREdataason29.07.2024   | Baal Swaraj COVIDCAREdataason29.07.2024   |
|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| State/UT                                  | Single Parent                             |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands               | 353                                       |
| Andhra Pradesh                            | 8141                                      |
| Arunachal Pradesh                         | 375                                       |
| Assam                                     | 1963                                      |
| Bihar                                     | 2089                                      |
| Chandigarh                                | 169                                       |
| Chhattisgarh                              | 361                                       |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu  | 327                                       |
| Delhi                                     | 6696                                      |
| Goa                                       | 188                                       |
| Gujarat                                   | 13802                                     |
| Haryana                                   | 3362                                      |
| Himachal Pradesh                          | 3136                                      |
| Jammu and kashmir                         | 670                                       |
| Jharkhand                                 | 1523                                      |
| Karnataka                                 | 4899                                      |
| Kerala                                    | 4001                                      |
| LADAKH                                    | 112                                       |
| Lakshadweep                               | 79                                        |
| Madhya Pradesh                            | 11413                                     |

| Maharashtra   |   27302 |
|---------------|---------|
| Manipur       |     276 |
| Meghalaya     |     152 |
| Mizoram       |     180 |
| Nagaland      |     142 |
| Odisha        |   34160 |
| Puducherry    |     418 |
| Punjab        |    1407 |
| Rajasthan     |    6236 |
| Sikkim        |      52 |
| Tamil Nadu    |   15395 |
| Telangana     |    2045 |
| Tripura       |      85 |
| Uttar Pradesh |   19437 |
| Uttrakhand    |    5181 |
| West Bengal   |    6544 |
| Total         |  182671 |

(As on 29.07.2024)

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