Parliament Question: Strengthening of Child Protection and Tracking Mechanisms

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026 STRENGTHENING OF CHILD PROTECTION AND TRACKING MECHANISMS *313. SHRI K SUDHAKARAN: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) the current status of integration between the Mission Vatsalya Portal (including TrackChild and Khoya-Paya) and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) to ensure real-time data synchronization of missing children reported in January 2026; (b) whether the Ministry has identified any specific States/Union Territories that have failed to appoint/activate Nodal Officers as per recent judicial directives, leading to delays in updating the national database, if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of the "Individual Care Plans" and rehabilitation measures provided under the said Mission for children rescued during the recent special drives in early 2026; and (d) whether the Government is considering a mandatory "Time-Bound Upload" protocol for Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) to prevent the data lag recently criticized by the Supreme Court and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI) (a) to (d) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTs (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.313 FOR ANSWER ON 13.03.2026 RAISED BY SHRI K SUDHAKARAN REGARDING STRENGTHENING OF CHILD PROTECTION AND TRACKING MECHANISMS (a) : The Mission Vatsalya Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which is implemented by the States and Union Territories (UTs) with the aim to support Children in Need of care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL). The objective of the Scheme is for ensuring care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances, including missing and vulnerable children. 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 TrackChild portal is implemented with support and involvement of various stakeholders namely Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Railways, State Governments and UT Administrations, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, National Legal Services Authority, etc. Standard operating procedure have been issued in this regard. Advisories have also been issued to all States and UTs including Director General of Police of all States & UTs and other stakeholders regarding implementation of TrackChild. It is also integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking & Network Systems (CCTNS) of the Ministry of Home Affairs which allows interoperability in terms of matching of FIRs of missing children with data base of TrackChild to trace and match missing children by the State and UT police concerned. Further, through Khoya Paya module any citizen can report about any missing or sighted children. (b) : This Ministry directed all State and UT Governments to appoint designated nodal officers for Missing children at State Level and District levels. All State and UT Governments have appointed the nodal officers and details of these nodal officers have been uploaded on Mission Vatsalya portal. (c) : Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015), preparation of Individual Care Plans (ICPs) is mandated for every child in need of care and protection. The ICP includes assessment of the child’s needs and appropriate rehabilitation measures such as family-based care, sponsorship, education, counselling, health care, skill development and other support services. Children rescued during special drives are produced before the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), which assess each case individually and ensure preparation and implementation of appropriate rehabilitation plans in accordance with the provisions of the JJ Act, 2015. (d) : The Ministry has issued guidelines and advisories to States and UTs for timely entry and updating of information on the Mission Vatsalya portal by concerned authorities including Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs). Efforts are continuously being made to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and improve real-time data reporting through digital platforms so as to ensure timely tracking and rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection. *****