Strengthen Vulnerable Families, Children

India is home to almost 19% of the world's children. More than one third of the country's population, around 440 million, is below 18 years. It is estimated that around 170 million or 40 per cent of India's children are vulnerable or experiencing difficult circumstances characterized by their specific social, economic and geo-political situations. All these children need special attention (Annual Report 2015-16, MWCD, Govt of India annual-report-2015-16.pdf).




 According to Ministry of Women & Child Development Report of 2018, there were 3,77,649 children living in 7079 CCIs across India out of which 6368 were children’s home.




During the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 146,000 children (64%) of those in childcare institutions were sent back to their families as a precaution against the Covid-19 pandemic following directives from the Supreme Court.




According to the official data cited by MWCD, the number of children affected due to Covid in India is 1,53,827. This data, however, is not restricted to Covid-19 orphans alone. The Supreme Court had directed all states and UTs to identify every child who has lost one or more of their parents or has been abandoned during Covid due to any reason, Covid or otherwise, during the pandemic period. The loss of a parent could have been due to Covid, natural, unnatural, or any other cause during the period of pandemic. “As per NCPCR”s Bal Swaraj portal, so far, 1,53,827 children have been registered on the [Bal Swaraj] portal including 1,42,949 children with a single parent, 492 abandoned children and 10,386 children who have lost both their parents, ’said the ministry (https://indianexpress.com/article/india/lancet-report-on-children-orphaned-during-covid-has-no-correlation-with-ground-realities-govt-7798256/).