New Delhi: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has informed the Supreme Court that since April 1, 2020, a total of 1,47,492 children have lost either or both of their parents due to COVID-19 and other reasons. .
In a suo motu case regarding care and protection of children who have lost their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCPCR said that its data is shared by the States and Union Territories on their ‘Bal Swaraj Portal – COVID Care’ till January 11. Based on uploaded data.
The affidavit, filed through advocate Swaroopma Chaturvedi, said that the data uploaded till January 11 shows that the total number of children in need of care and protection is 1,47,492, including 10,094 orphans and 10,094 parents. The number of children who lost one of them is 1,36,910 and the number of children abandoned is 488.
According to the commission, out of 1,47,492 children on the basis of gender, 76,508 are boys, 70,980 are girls and four are transgender.
The affidavit said that out of the total children, 59,010 children are in the age group of eight to 13 years, while in the second place are children between the ages of four and seven, with a total number of 26,080.
Statistics show that the total number of children in the age group of 14 to 15 years is 22,763 and the total number of children in the age group of 16 to 18 years is 22,626.
The commission has also given information about the current status of children’s shelters, according to which maximum children (1,25,205) are with either of the parents, while 11,272 children are with family members and 8,450 children are with parents.
The affidavit said that 1,529 children are in children’s homes, 19 in open shelter homes, two in observation homes, 188 in orphanages, 66 in specialized adoption agencies and 39 in hostels.
Giving the state-wise details of children who have lost their parents or both parents due to COVID and other reasons since April 2020, the Commission said that the maximum number of such children is from Odisha (24,405 children). It is followed by Maharashtra (19,623), Gujarat (14,770), Tamil Nadu (11,014), Uttar Pradesh (9,247), Andhra Pradesh (8,760), Madhya Pradesh (7,340), West Bengal (6,835), Delhi (6,629) and Rajasthan (6,827 children). place comes.
According to news agency PTI, the commission said that it is taking steps to ensure that children are not affected or less affected in the epidemic.
The Commission said that in this context, NCPCR is holding meetings with the State Commissions of each of the States/UTs for protection of child rights to know the updated status of preparedness in the event of third wave of COVID pandemic.
The commission informed the apex court that it is holding region-wise meetings with the SCPCRs of each state/UT and a virtual meeting with the north-eastern states is scheduled to take place on January 19.
It is known that in the month of June last year, the Supreme Court had asked to take action against those who illegally adopt children who were orphaned during Corona.
During this, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had informed the apex court that according to the data submitted by various states and union territories from April 1, 2020 to June 5, 2021, parents or parents of 30,071 children during the Corona period. Both have died.
In May 2020, the central government had announced several welfare schemes for children orphaned by the COVID-19 epidemic. Such children will get a monthly scholarship at the age of 18 and a fund of Rs 10 lakh from PM Cares at the age of 23.
Apart from this, free education of those children will also be ensured by the government. They will be helped to get education loan for higher education and PM Cares Fund will pay interest on this loan.
(with input from news agency language)
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Categories: covid-19, india
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