Supreme Court seeks status report on orphan children from states and UTs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state governments and union territories (UTs) to file status reports giving particulars about the number of children who have become orphans after March 2020.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state governments and union territories (UTs) to file status reports giving particulars about the number of children who have become orphans after March 2020. The bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose directed the District Magistrates to issue necessary instructions to the district child protection officers to take the assistance of the police, civil society, gram panchayats, Anganwadi, and ASHA workers for identification of orphans. The Apex Court said this is in addition to mechanisms available in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and rules.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday opined that all children who have become orphans during the pandemic shall be given the benefits of the various government schemes. The Supreme Court said, "The identification of children who have lost both parents or one parent after March 2020 does not brook any further delay," the bench said.

The Court further directed the District Magistrates to continue uploading the information on the Bal Swaraj portal of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). Child welfare committees are also directed to complete the inquiry within the time limit specified under Act and provide assistance and rehabilitation to orphans, the bench added. The SC added that responses on various schemes including PM Cares are being discussed. It said that the states must take care of children. Identification of orphan children, their education, the schemes benefitting them etc, were discussed before the court.

State of West Bengal, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir were pulled up for sharing fewer data. West Bengal contended that it does not know on what basis the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is collecting information. Responding furiously to this, the Court said that it is not a political matter and the state should understand the urgency of the situation, where orphans are left to fend for themselves. It warned that if Bengal gives excuses next time, it will order an agency to get into the matter.

About the education of orphan children, the top court directed the state governments to ensure that orphans continue to study in the same school, private or government, for the current academic year and in case of any difficulty they may be accommodated in the neighbourhood school under the Right to Education Act. It also directed the states to provide details regarding payment of Rs 2000 monetary assistance given to needy orphans under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme.