Parliament Question: Rehabilitation of Children

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2285 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2025 REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN

2285. DR. RANI SRIKUMAR:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of UNICEF's "State of the World's Children Report 2024” which States that a significant number of children in the country are at high risk of displacement due to climate change and environmental disasters;

(b) if so, the details regarding the displacement of children if any in the country during the last five years due to the said reasons; and

(c) the details of measures/initiatives being taken by the Government to prevent displacement and to rehabilitate affected children? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (c): UNICEF independently publishes the “State of the World’s Children” report annually, which provides a general global perspective on issues concerning children, including those arising due to environmental and climate-related factors. These reports include references to various countries based on compiled international datasets and are not country-specific official reports.

Ministry of Women & Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021) which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the rehabilitation of children affected by climate change, natural calamities, and environmental disasters:

 As per section 2(14) (xi), a child "who is victim of or affected by any armed conflict, civil unrest, or natural calamity" is classified as a Child in Need of Care and Protection

(CNCP), meaning children who are displaced or rendered vulnerable due to climate change-induced disasters (e.g., floods, cyclones, droughts, and similar events) are entitled to receive protection, care, and rehabilitation as per the Act. Under Section 30 of the JJ Act, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is responsible for ensuring that each child, including those displaced due to disasters, receives individualized care and rehabilitation plans, monitoring and follow-up.

 Section 39 of the Act lays down the rehabilitation and social reintegration process for such children based on their individual care plan, preferably through family-based care such as by restoration to family or guardian, sponsorship, adoption or foster care. It also provides for suitable institutional care for children who are not placed in families for any reason.

 Section 53 of the Act makes provisions for displaced children recognized as CNCP who are placed in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) to have access to basic needs such food, shelter, clothing, medical attention; psychological counselling and mental health support; appropriate education and skill development; life skills; legal aid;

recreational activities; individual care plans tailored to each child's needs; referral services and preparation for family-based reintegration or independent living when appropriate.  Rule 19 (4A) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection for Children) Model Rules, 2016 requires the development of Individual Care Plans (ICP) for every CNCP, considering the specific circumstances—including trauma and loss due to displacement.

 Rule 25 of JJ Rules also makes provisions for aftercare services to children leaving institutional care on attending the age of 18 by providing for their education, employable skills and placements, and places to stay for facilitating their social reintegration.

Further, Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ‘Mission Vatsalya’ in all States/ UTs on predefined cost sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments to deliver various services for children in difficult circumstances which include institutional care and non-institutional care services.

The CCIs established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme support, inter-alia, age- appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. Support under non-institutional care is provided by way of sponsorship, foster care and after care to CNCP.

Under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005; the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is mandated to take cognizance in such matters and issue notices u/s 13(1) (j) of the aforementioned Act to concerned authorities in matters pertaining to violation and deprivation of the rights of children including natural disasters and climate change such as “Heat Waves”, “Flash floods” “Earth Quakes” etc.

The Commission has developed and circulated a “Comprehensive Manual on Safety and Security of Children”. Above manual references “Activity Book for Disaster Management” published by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). The school safety auditchecklist of the said NCPCR’s safety manual covers the aspects related to disasters such as “Fire”, “Earthquake”, “Floods”, “Cyclone” and “Landslides”.

Further, as per the National Policy on Disaster Management, the primary responsibility for disaster management including disbursal of relief assistance on ground level rests with the State Governments concerned. The Central Government provides requisite logistics and financial support to the efforts of the State Governments. The State Governments provide financial relief to the affected people in the event of notified natural disasters which includes floods and landslides, from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at its disposal, in accordance with approved items and norms of Government of India.

However, in the event of disaster of severe nature additional financial assistance is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team

(IMCT). The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief and not for compensation. For the long-term post disaster needs, States are supported through recovery and reconstruction funding window under NDRF and SDRF.

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