Lok Sabha Question No. 665 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-06
Subject: Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Saikia Dilip, Devji Mansingram Patel, Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 665 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.02.2024

## REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

## 665. SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI RANJEETSINGH NAIK NIMBALKAR:

SHRI DILIP SAIKIA:

SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  institutional  arrangements  to  take  care  of  the  children  with  special needs residing in State run childcare homes after they become eighteen years old;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c)  the  fresh  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  rehabilitation  of  such  individuals  and  also  for  their integration to the society?

## ANSWER

## (MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT) SUSHRI PRATIMA BHOUMIK

- (a)  to  (c) The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  administers  the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) as amended in 2021 which is the primary legislation for ensuring the safety, security, dignity and well-being of children.
- (i) The Act provides for protection of children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law by catering to their basic needs through care, protection, development, treatment and social re-integration. The primary responsibility of implementation of the JJ Act lies with the respective State/UT Government. JJ Act,  2015  mandates  that  the  State  Government  to  establish  and  maintain  in  every  district  or  a  group  of districts,  either  by  itself,  or  through  voluntary  or  non-governmental  organisations,  Child  Care  Institutions (CCIs) for rehabilitation of Children in need of Care and Protection and for Children in conflict with law including Children in Special needs. As per Section 2 (35) of JJ Act, 2015, Juvenile means a Child below the age of eighteen years.

The JJ Act, 2015 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (JJ Rules, 2016) (as amended in 2022) framed there under, inter-alia specify the benchmark of services to be delivered to the children. The key processes and standards of care are important components of functioning of CCIs. These  processes  and  standards,  as  prescribed  under  the  JJ  Act  and  Rules  there  under  such  as  physical infrastructure,  clothing,  bedding  and  toiletries,  sanitation  and  hygiene,  nutrition,  mental  health,  medical Care, education, vocational and recreational facilities are to ensure best interest of children living in CCIs.

The JJ Act, 2015 provides for Aftercare of Children living under the Institutional care vide Section 2(5) and section 46 which mandates that any child leaving a child care institution on completion of eighteen years of age may be provided with financial support in order to facilitate child's re-integration into the mainstream of the society in the manner as may be prescribed in Rule 25 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (as amended in 2022). As per Rule 79 (9) of the JJ Model Rules, 2016 (as amended in 2022), where a girl, above eighteen years of age, is released from the Child Care Institution and has no place to go, she shall be provided with accommodation in the Working Women Hostels, or other such government facilities, till the time some other suitable arrangement is made by her.

(ii)  The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  also  implementing  Mission  Vatsalya  Scheme  for care,  protection,  rehabilitation  and  reintegration  of  children  in  difficult  circumstances  on  predefined  cost sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments. Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, support is provided for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and funds for Non-Institutional  Care.  Such  children  have  access  to  both  institutional  and  non-institutional  care  and rehabilitation as per Individual Care Plan (ICP) as mandated JJ Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021).

CCIs  provide/support  for  boarding  &  lodging;  age-appropriate  education;  access  to  vocational  training; recreation; health care; counselling etc. Under the scheme guidelines, States/UTs have been instructed for mandatory Police verification of the CCI staff and other staff engaged at State and District level, prior to their appointment.

(iii) As far as Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) is concerned the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, mandates the appropriate Government and local authorities to take measure to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others. Section 4(2) of the said Act mandates the appropriate Government and local authorities to provide appropriate support to children with disabilities keeping in view their age and disability.  Further, Section 17 (h) of the said Act also provides for scholarships in appropriate cases to students with benchmark disabilities.

(iv) National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC), a Public Sector Enterprise under DEPwD, channelizes concessional loans for the socio-economic empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) throughout the country. There are two flagship schemes of NDFDC for channelizing concessional finance  through  its  partner  agencies  i.e.   Divyangjan  Swavalamban  Yojana  (DSY),  which  is  individual centric  and  Vishesh  Microfinance  Yojana  (VMY),  which  is  for  Self  Help  Groups/  Joint  liability  groups through  various  partner  agencies  for  the  welfare  and  rehabilitation  of  PwDs  in  the  country.  Under  DSY scheme, loan upto Rs.50 Lakh is provided at concessional rate of interest for income generating activities, pursuing higher education/ vocational/skill training and purchase of assistive devices for PwDs. Further, a loan upto Rs.60,000/- is given to a PwD at reasonable rate of interest for providing prompt and need based finance  for  small/micro  business  and  developmental  activities  under  VMY  Scheme.  NDFDC  provides  a special  rebate  of  1%  on  rate  of  interest  to  divyangjan  in  self  employment  loans  of  upto  Rs  50,000/-  for encouraging them to take up self employment ventures. The rebate is borne by NDFDC. The education loan is provided to Student with Disability at the interest rate of 4% p.a.

(v) A central sector scheme namely Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) is implemented by DEPwD under which grant-in-aid is provided to the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for projects relating to rehabilitation of persons with disabilities aimed at enabling persons with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal, physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or socio-functional levels. This Department is  running  three  projects  for  rehabilitation  of  children  with  special  needs  for  beyond  the  age group of 18 years. Details for which are as under:

(I)  Special  School  for  the  children  with  other  disabilities  (Intellectual  Disability/Cerebral  Palsy/Autism Spectrum Disorder/MD/Muscular Dystrophy, Deaf blindness etc) with option for Home Based Rehabilitation and Community-Based Rehabilitation Project: These Special Schools are meant to provide for residential  as  well  as  non-residential  care  with  the  end  objective  of  bringing  about  varying  degrees  of improvement in the lives of the persons with disability. These may range from acquiring skills as basic as activities  of  daily  living  to  their  integration  into  regular  institutions  of  learning  and  society  in  general. Beneficiaries up to the age of 23 years are benefitted under this project.

(II) Rehabilitation of Leprosy Cured Persons with option for Home-Based Rehabilitation & CommunityBased Rehabilitation Project: The project is for adults cured of leprosy. Of the existing components of the projects  indicated  in  the  Scheme  to  Promote  Voluntary  Action  for  Persons  with  Disabilities  for  this Category, VTC component is strongly encourages. Project for Sheltered Workshop can also be run for this category.  The  basic  aim  of  this  project  is  to  empower  the  LCPs  with  skills  that  would  enable  them  to improve their socio-economic condition, and to sustain themselves through self-employment and entrepreneurship either individually under/or collectively.

(III) Half Way Home for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation of Treated and Controlled individuals with Mental Illness  with  option  for  Home-Based  Rehabilitation  &  Community-Based  Rehabilitation  Project:  The objective of this project is to provide a facilitating mechanism for rehabilitation, of treated and controlled persons with mental illness to be able to get integrated into normal life within a reasonable period of time. The need for such  Half  Way  Homes is felt,  as  the  community  at  large  is  still  hesitant  in  accepting  such persons  into  its  fold.  The  project  is  aimed  at  providing  vocational  training  and  re-skilling  persons  with mental  illness  as  well  as  counseling  for  them  and  their  families  to  facilitate  reintegration  with  the family/society.

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