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Child rights panel plans database to help children who lost parents to the pandemic
New Delhi: the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is working on a centralised digital database to monitor and help children who have lost both their parents to Covid-19, officials familiar with the matter said
New Delhi: the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is working on a centralised digital database to monitor and help children who have lost both their parents to Covid-19, officials familiar with the matter said.
The database will help the Commission follow up regularly on the status of the vulnerable children and intervene wherever necessary. The platform, which is currently under development, is likely to go live before the end of the week.
“The database and software will help in removing the bottlenecks in terms of the problems the vulnerable children are facing,” one of the officials said on the condition of anonymity. “The schemes available for child welfare, such as sponsorship will also be integrated with this database.”
NCPCR, on May 2, sought details from the states regarding the number of such vulnerable children. The data, the officials added, is still in the process of being collated.
The first official added that the database will help link the states with the centre to ensure seamless aid for the vulnerable children. The issue has become a point of concern after posts on social media seemed to suggest that children who had lost both parents to Covid-19 amidst the pandemic’s raging second wave, were up for adoption. The move prompted the ministry of women and child development to write to the union health ministry to seek the parents’ directions for children, in case neither of the parents survive the virus. The ministry had sought a that a section should be added to the hospital admission form, wherein parents may declare the details of trusthworthy person to hand the children over to in the event of unforeseeable circumstances. WCD minister Smriti Irani also took to Twitter to warn people from adopting children directly as it is illegal . The ministry fears that this could make orphans vulnerable to trafficking.
According to state government officials, the number of such vulnerable children is not very high. A Rajasthan official said that only three such cases had been flagged to it. “The cases were found in Kota, Fatehpur and Sikar,” said state child rights Commission chair Sangeeta Beniwal. “We have ensured timely assistance and rehabilitation.”
In Chhattisgarh, one such case was identified in Raipur. “Such cases are rare in the state,” said a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights official on the condition of anonymity. “One such case was found; the child was presented in front of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and has now been sent to stay with relatives.”
The official added that the greater challenge was the impact of Covid-19 on children staying in welfare homes. “Many of these have been turned into Covid care centres,” the official said. “Across 90 homes, there is a strength of 2000 children, of which 128 have tested positive.”
Officials in Odisha said that they are yet to find any such case in the state but a data collection exercise is ongoing.
States such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Delhi have already stated that the government will take responsibility for children orphaned due to the pandemic. Congress party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure free education for such children.
