Parliament Question: Social Security Benefits for Orphans

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1017 ANSWERED ON 24.07.2026 SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR ORPHANS

1017. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any recent survey/estimation of the number of orphans in the country, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;

(b) the details of children identified as orphans, single-parent/abandoned children currently residing in child care institutions, including those covered under Mission Vatsalya;

(c) the measures being taken by the Government for rehabilitation, adoption, foster care and educational support for such children during the last five years;

(d) whether there exists a centralized database/tracking system for orphaned and vulnerable children, if so, the details thereof, its functioning and coverage; and

(e) the details of the steps taken to ensure their protection, access to healthcare, education and social security benefits, along with proposed policy initiatives, if any, therein? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (e): The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and wellbeing of children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law by catering to their basic needs through care, protection, development, treatment, rehabilitation and social re-integration. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the JJ Act.

Under the JJ Act 2015, the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) have been empowered to take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection including orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children. They are also mandated to monitor the functioning of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Similarly, the Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) are empowered to take decisions regarding the welfare of children in conflict with law. The Act defines standardsof care and protection to secure the best interest of children living in CCIs and aims to provide family environment through non-institutional care services which includes sponsorship, foster care and aftercare.

The number of children residing in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) funded under Mission Vatsalya Scheme including orphans, single-parent/abandoned children State and UT-wise (including in the State of Tamil Nadu) during FY 2025-26 is at Annexure.

Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ‘Mission Vatsalya’ in all States and Union Territories on predefined cost sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments to deliver various services for children in difficult circumstances including orphan children. The scheme provides institutional care and non- institutional care. Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme provide, inter-alia, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. Under Non-Institutional Care Service, support is provided through Sponsorship, Foster Care and After Care.

Further, Adoption is regulated and facilitated through the Central Adoption Resource Authority

(CARA) in accordance with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Adoption Regulations. Foster care and sponsorship are promoted to encourage family-based care, and financial assistance is provided to support children’s upbringing in a family environment.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed an integrated unified Mission Vatsalya Portal in consultation and coordination with States and UTs. The TrackChild portal for Missing/Found Children, and Khoya-Paya application for Missing/Sighted Children have been integrated with this unified Mission Vatsalya Portal. The Portal integrates key child protection services and facilitates digital case management, beneficiary tracking, institutional monitoring and reporting by States and UTs. The Portal also integrates the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal thereby strengthening tracking, rehabilitation and adoption-related services for children in need of care and protection.

The Mission Vatsalya Portal has been rolled out across all 36 States and Union Territories. States and Union Territories, have been advised from time to time to ensure regular updation of child- specific and institutional data.

*****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTs (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1017 FOR ANSWER ON 24.07.2026 BY Dr. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY REGARDING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR ORPHANS STATE and UT WISE INCLUDING TAMIL NADU CHILDREN RESIDING IN CHILD CARE INSTITUTIONS (CCIs) FUNDED UNDER MISSION VATSALYA SCHEME INCLUDING ORPHANS, SINGLE-PARENT/ABANDONED CHILDREN DURING FY 2025-26 S. State and UT Total Children in CCIs During FY 2025-26 No.

1 Andhra Pradesh 2284 2 Arunachal Pradesh 222 3 Assam 2036 4 Bihar 3228 5 Chhattisgarh 1714 6 Goa 405 7 Gujarat 2987 8 Haryana 960 9 Himachal Pradesh 1312 10 Jammu and Kashmir 1870 11 Jharkhand 1765 12 Karnataka 2853 13 Kerala 1370 14 Madhya Pradesh 2392 15 Maharashtra 4185 16 Manipur 2555 17 Meghalaya 993 18 Mizoram 1742 19 Nagaland 663 20 Odisha 7311 21 Punjab 54322 Rajasthan 4629 23 Sikkim 725 24 Tamil Nadu 11217 25 Telangana 2465 26 Tripura 1235 27 Uttar Pradesh 5125 28 Uttarakhand 909 29 West Bengal 7725 30 Andaman & Nicobar 264 31 Chandigarh 370 32 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman 58 & Diu 33 Ladakh 96 34 Lakshadweep 0 35 Delhi 1630 36 Puducherry 673 *****