Street children, rag pickers, vagabond, runaways and orphans committing petty crimes for subsistence or begging in the country, fall within the category of “Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP)” and “Children in Conflict with Law (CCL)” as described in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The primary responsibility of execution of the JJ Act, 2015 lies with the State Governments. Ministry of Women and Child Development has not conducted any survey or maintained data of such children.

India, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), has committed itself to ensure that all children enjoy their right to survival, development, protection and participation. In pursuance of this the Ministry of Women and Child Development has adopted the National Policy for Children (NPC), 2013 on 26^th April, 2013 which affirms the Government's commitment to realization of the rights of all children in the country. It recognizes every person below the age of eighteen years as a child and that childhood is an integral part of life with a value of its own, and a long term, sustainable, multi-spectral, integrated and inclusive approach is necessary for the harmonious development and protection of children.

The Policy has identified survival, health, nutrition, education, development, protection and participation as the undeniable rights of every child, and has also declared these as key priority areas. Further the Ministry has also launched the National Plan of Action for Children, 2016 on 24.01.2017 in pursuance of the NPC, 2013 which is availableon the Ministry’s website:www.wcd.nic.in.

The details of children who have benefited under CPS during 2018-19 is given below:

Details of Child Care Institutions in the country along with number of children residing in these institutions under CPS as on 31.03.2019.

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

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MM/SB