New Delhi, 09 February 2022: The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the Centrally sponsored ‘Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme’ – Mission Vatsalya for rehabilitation of children in difficult circumstances including, orphan and destitute children. Under CPS scheme, financial assistance is provided to the State Governments/UT Governments for providing services which include institutional care, non-institutional care, support for capacity building, human resources etc. Grants are also provided for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) including children homes, observation homes, special homes, place of safety, open shelters etc. CCIs provide for age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. The execution of the scheme lies with the respective States/UTs.

Apart from this, as informed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Hon’ble Supreme Court in SMWP (C) No.6/2021 In Re Children in Street Situations has taken suo-moto cognizance of the issue of children in street situations. The State/UT-wise data with regard to children in street situations on the Bal Swaraj Portal of NCPCR as on 11.01.2022 is at Annexure-I.

The Ministry has taken various measures and regularly engaged with all State/UTs to ensure continued and uninterrupted delivery of services and also for effective implementation of the schemes. Various guidelines and advisories have been shared with the States/ UTs to keep operational and available the institutions and facilities run under different schemes.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Annexure-I

State/UT-wise data with regard to children in street situations on Bal Swaraj Portal (as on 11.01.2022)