**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 2283 regarding special provisions for orphaned children, to be answered on December 12, 2025. It outlines the Ministry of Women and Child Development's initiatives and measures taken to address challenges faced by orphaned children in obtaining Aadhaar and other essential documents, ensuring their access to education, welfare, and other benefits, as well as their support and care. The document further discusses measures to simplify documentation, ensure compliance with the Supreme Court directions, and enable institutional certification.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Nodal Ministry and JJ Act, 2015:**
* The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the administration of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
* The Act ensures safety, security, dignity, and well-being of children.
* States and Union Territories are primarily responsible for implementing the Act, as per section 106.
* **Mission Vatsalya Scheme:**
* The Ministry implements the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Mission Vatsalya' through State and Union Territory Governments.
* The scheme delivers services for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) including orphaned children and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL).
* Services include Institutional Care and Non-Institutional Care.
* Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme support age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling, etc.
* **Aadhaar and Documentation:**
* States and Union Territories are required to ensure that children in CCIs have access to documents like Birth Certificates, Aadhaar Cards, School going Certificates, Vaccination Certificates, and Health Check-up cards.
* CCIs are to ensure specific short term suitable certificate courses and skill training certificate courses for children in the CCIs in the age group of 14-18 years.
* The Ministry of Women & Child Development, in conjunction with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar enrolment of children in difficult circumstances including missing children or those who are separated from their families including orphaned children, which was issued on 25.06.2025.
* **Guidelines and Implementation:**
* The Ministry issues guidelines and advisories to strengthen the implementation of JJ Act, 2015 by the States and Union Territories.
* The Ministry regularly engages with the States and Union Territories regarding effective implementation of the JJ Act.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** States and Union Territories
**Impact**
* Responsible for implementing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
* Required to implement the ‘Mission Vatsalya’ scheme to deliver services for children in need of care and protection.
* Need to ensure documentation (Birth Certificate, Aadhaar Card, etc.) for children in Child Care Institutions.
**Action Required**
* Ensure effective implementation of the JJ Act, 2015.
* Deliver services under ‘Mission Vatsalya’ to children in need, including orphaned children.
* Ensure necessary documentation is available for children in CCIs.
**Stakeholder:** Child Care Institutions (CCIs)
**Impact**
* Responsible for providing care and support to children under the Mission Vatsalya scheme.
* Must ensure that children have access to education, vocational training, recreation, health care, and counselling.
* Required to facilitate documentation processes for children.
**Action Required**
* Provide comprehensive care and support to children.
* Ensure access to education, training, and other necessary services.
* Facilitate the availability of required documents for children.
**Stakeholder:** Orphans and Vulnerable Children
**Impact**
* Direct beneficiaries of the JJ Act, 2015, and the Mission Vatsalya scheme.
* Have the right to safety, security, dignity, and well-being.
* Entitled to access education, healthcare, and other welfare benefits.
**Action Required**
* No direct action required; benefits and protections should be provided.
Key Entities Referenced
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Primary legislation ensuring the safety, security, dignity, and well-being of children, implemented by the States and Union Territories.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: Nodal Ministry for the administration of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Mission Vatsalya: Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented through State and Union Territory Governments to deliver services for Children in Need of Care and Protection.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI): Worked with the Ministry of Women & Child Development to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar enrolment of children in difficult circumstances.
Child Care Institutions (CCIs): Institutions established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme to support children.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2283
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025
SPECIAL PROVISION FOR ORPHANED CHILDREN
2283. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN :
Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has taken note of the challenges faced by orphaned and vulnerable
children in obtaining Aadhaar/essential identity documents, particularly in cases where
guardianship/parental records are unavailable, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of the measures taken, in coordination with the UIDAI and State Governments,
to simplify documentation, enable institutional certification/ensure compliance with
Supreme Court directions on the right to identity, education and welfare;
(c) whether the Government proposes to consider special provisions for orphaned children in
education, skilling/employment schemes at the national level;
(d) if so, the details of proposals if any under examination along with expected timeline for
their implementation; and
(e) the details of the steps taken to ensure that orphans without Aadhaar are not denied access
to school admissions, nutrition programmes, Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and other
welfare benefits, including the use of alternative verification mechanisms?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (e): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for the
administration of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015)
which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of children
and is implemented by the States and Union Territories. As per section 106 of JJ Act, 2015, the
primary responsibility and execution of the JJ Act, 2015 lies with the States and Union Territories
and they are required to ensure effective implementation of the Act.
The Ministry is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ‘Mission Vatsalya’,
through the State and Union Territory Governments to deliver various services for Children in
Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) including orphaned children as well as Children in Conflict
with Law (CCL). These services include Institutional Care and Non-Institutional Care. TheChild Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme support, inter-
alia, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling
etc. Under non-institutional care, support is provided to the children through Sponsorship, Foster
Care, Adoption and After Care.
As per Mission Vatsalya Scheme guidelines, States and Union Territories have to ensure that
documents of each child like Birth Certificate, Aadhar Card, School going Certificate,
Vaccination Certificates, Health Check-up cards etc., of all the children are made available by the
Child Care Institutions. Further, as per guidelines, CCIs are to ensure specific short term suitable
certificate courses and skill training certificate courses for children in the CCIs in the age group
of 14-18 years.
The Ministry of Women & Child Development, in conjunction with Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI), has prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Aadhaar
enrolment of children in difficult circumstances including missing children or those who are
separated from their families including orphaned children, which was issued on 25.06.2025.
The Ministry has issued various guidelines and advisories from time to time for strengthening
implementation of JJ Act, 2015 by the States and Union Territories. The Ministry also regularly
engages with the States and Union Territories with regard to implementation of the JJ Act
effectively.
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