As per the information available on the website of Registrar General of India, 61,311 children (Age up to 19 years) were engaged in the act of Begging as per details attached at Annexure. These figures are based on Census 2011.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a scheme “SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” on 12.02.2022, which includes sub-scheme - ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
The focus of the scheme is extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages and so on. Persons engaged in the act of Begging are to be covered under the scheme.
As per information provided by Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Adoption Regulations 2017 establish a framework for the rehabilitation of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children, which include cases, where children have lost both the parents owing to Covid-19. The Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit are entrusted with the placement of such children for adoption and rehabilitation. Besides, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) are also mandated under JJ Act, 2015 for facilitating adoption related matters of children.
Further, the Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme under which support is provided to States and UT Governments for delivering services for children in need of care and in difficult circumstances including children who indulged in begging for their rehabilitation. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri A. Narayanaswamy in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
MG/RNM/DP/SB
*****
Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) and (b) of the Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3972 to be answered on 06.04.2022 regarding “Welfare of child beggars”
|
ST Code
|
India/State/UT
|
Beggars, Vagrants etc.
|
|
Total
|
Child (0-19 Years)
|
|
1
|
JAMMU & KASHMIR
|
4,134
|
1,204
|
|
2
|
HIMACHAL PRADESH
|
809
|
237
|
|
3
|
PUNJAB
|
7,939
|
1,681
|
|
4
|
CHANDIGARH
|
121
|
21
|
|
5
|
UTTARAKHAND
|
3,320
|
377
|
|
6
|
HARYANA
|
8,682
|
1,767
|
|
7
|
NCT OF DELHI
|
2,187
|
380
|
|
8
|
RAJASTHAN
|
25,853
|
8,976
|
|
9
|
UTTAR PRADESH
|
65,835
|
14,599
|
|
10
|
BIHAR
|
29,723
|
4,485
|
|
11
|
SIKKIM
|
68
|
8
|
|
12
|
ARUNACHAL PRADESH
|
114
|
29
|
|
13
|
NAGALAND
|
124
|
26
|
|
14
|
MANIPUR
|
263
|
40
|
|
15
|
MIZORAM
|
53
|
6
|
|
16
|
TRIPURA
|
1,490
|
67
|
|
17
|
MEGHALAYA
|
396
|
50
|
|
18
|
ASSAM
|
22,116
|
999
|
|
19
|
WEST BENGAL
|
81,244
|
4,323
|
|
20
|
JHARKHAND
|
10,819
|
1,604
|
|
21
|
ODISHA
|
17,965
|
1,194
|
|
22
|
CHHATTISGARH
|
10,198
|
1,414
|
|
23
|
MADHYA PRADESH
|
28,695
|
3,654
|
|
24
|
GUJARAT
|
13,445
|
2,675
|
|
25
|
DAMAN & DIU
|
22
|
8
|
|
26
|
DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI
|
19
|
1
|
|
27
|
MAHARASHTRA
|
24,307
|
4,058
|
|
28
|
ANDHRA PRADESH
|
30,218
|
4,201
|
|
29
|
KARNATAKA
|
12,270
|
2,144
|
|
30
|
GOA
|
247
|
36
|
|
31
|
LAKSHADWEEP
|
2
|
1
|
|
32
|
KERALA
|
4,023
|
248
|
|
33
|
TAMIL NADU
|
6,814
|
782
|
|
34
|
PUDUCHERRY
|
99
|
12
|
|
35
|
A & N ISLANDS
|
56
|
4
|
| |
INDIA
|
4,13,670
|
61,311
|
*****