Date: 2026-03-11Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
WCD Ministry implementing ‘Mission Vatsalya’ to deliver various services for Children in Need of Care and Protection as well as Children in Conflict with Law
**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Mission Vatsalya' to provide various services for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL). This initiative integrates existing portals and systems to enhance the delivery of care, protection, and recovery services. Key actions include the constitution of Special Juvenile Police Units and the designation of child welfare police officers, with State and UT governments holding primary responsibility for implementation.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Mission Vatsalya Implementation:** The WCD Ministry is implementing 'Mission Vatsalya' to deliver comprehensive services for CNCP and CCL.
* **Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015):** This is the primary legislation governing the safety, security, dignity, and well-being of children.
* **Statutory Structures:** The JJ Act, 2015 mandates the creation of State Child Protection Society, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), District Child Protection Units, and Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
* **Child Welfare Committees (CWCs):** Empowered under Sections 27-30 of the JJ Act, 2015, CWCs make decisions in the best interest of children needing care and protection and monitor CCIs.
* **Implementation Responsibility:** State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations are primarily responsible for the implementation of the JJ Act, 2015, as per Section 106.
* **Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs):** Under Section 107 of the JJ Act, 2015, States and UTs must constitute SJPUs in each district and city, headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police.
* **Child Welfare Police Officers:** Each police station must designate an officer, not below the rank of Assistant Sub Inspector, as a Child Welfare Police Officer.
* **Services Provided:** Mission Vatsalya supports both institutional care (including age-appropriate education, vocational training, recreation, healthcare, and counselling) and non-institutional care (through Sponsorship, Foster Care, Adoption, and After Care).
* **Integrated Portal:** An integrated unified Mission Vatsalya Portal has been developed, incorporating TrackChild, Khoya-Paya, and CARINGS portals.
* **Interoperability:** The TrackChild portal is integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking & Network Systems (CCTNS) for improved matching of FIRs of missing children.
* **Nodal Officers:** State and UT governments are directed to appoint nodal officers for missing children at state and district levels. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also appointed a nodal officer for coordination.
* **Emergency Outreach:** The scheme provides 24x7 emergency outreach services through Child Helpline (1098), integrated with the Emergency Response Support System-112.
**Impact Analysis**
* **State and Union Territory Governments**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the primary implementation of the JJ Act, 2015, and the Mission Vatsalya scheme, including the establishment of required structures and the provision of services.
* **Action Required:** Constitute Special Juvenile Police Units and designate Child Welfare Police Officers; appoint nodal officers for missing children; implement the Mission Vatsalya scheme and provide institutional and non-institutional care services.
* **Police Departments (State and UTs)**
* **Impact:** Will be involved in constituting and operating Special Juvenile Police Units and designating Child Welfare Police Officers, enhancing their role in addressing issues related to children in conflict with law and missing children.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the formation of SJPUs and the appointment of Child Welfare Police Officers; utilize the integrated systems for tracing and matching missing children.
* **Child Welfare Committees (CWCs)**
* **Impact:** Continue to be empowered to make decisions for children in need of care and protection and monitor Child Care Institutions.
* **Action Required:** Exercise their empowered decision-making authority for children and effectively monitor the functioning of CCIs.
* **Child Care Institutions (CCIs)**
* **Impact:** Will receive support under the Mission Vatsalya scheme to provide various services to children.
* **Action Required:** Function in accordance with the guidelines of the Mission Vatsalya scheme, providing age-appropriate education, vocational training, recreation, health care, and counselling.
* **Citizens**
* **Impact:** Can report missing or sighted children through the Khoya Paya module.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the Khoya Paya module to report any information regarding missing or sighted children.
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Vatsalya: Centrally Sponsored Scheme implementing various services for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) and Children in Conflict with Law (CCL).
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015): Primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity, and well-being of children, implemented by States and UTs.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: Nodal Ministry for the JJ Act, 2015 and implementing the Mission Vatsalya scheme.
Child Welfare Committees (CWCs): Statutory bodies empowered under JJ Act 2015 to make decisions for children in need of care and protection.
TrackChild portal: Portal for missing/found children, integrated with the Mission Vatsalya Portal.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
WCD Ministry implementing ‘Mission Vatsalya’ to
deliver various services for Children in Need of
Care and Protection as well as Children in
Conflict with Law
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 4:30PM by PIB Delhi
'Police' and 'Public Order' are the "State” subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of
India. The responsibility for preventing and countering the crime of human trafficking, therefore,
primarily vests with respective States and Union Territories, who are competent to deal with such
offences under extant provisions of law.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on missing and recovered women
& children in the country in its report ‘Crime In India’. The said report is available up to the year 2023
and may be seen at www.ncrb.gov.in/crime-in-india-year-wise.html?year=2023&keyword=
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry for 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 UTs. The Act creates
statutory structures at the State and District levels which include State Child Protection Society, Child
Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), District Child Protection Units. It also provides for
establishment of Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
Under the JJ Act 2015 (Sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) have been empowered to
take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection, keeping their best interest in
mind. They are also mandated to monitor the function of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
As per Section 106 of the JJ Act 2015, the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Act lies
with the State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations.
Under Section 107 of The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, States and UTs are mandated to constitute Special
Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) in each district and city which should be headed by an officer not below the
rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police and to designate one Officer, not below the rank of Assistant
Sub Inspector, as a child Welfare Police Officer in every Police Station.
This Ministry is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ‘Mission Vatsalya’, through the
State and UT Governments to deliver various services for Children in Need of Care and Protection
(CNCP) as well as Children in Conflict with Law (CCL). These services include Institutional Care and
Non-Institutional Care. The Child 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.This Ministry has developed an integrated unified Mission Vatsalya Portal in consultation and
coordination with States and UTs. The TrackChild portal for Missing/Found Children, Khoya-Paya
application for Missing/Sighted Children and CARINGS portal for adoption 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 F.I.R.s 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.
Further, This Ministry has directed all State and UT Governments to appoint designated nodal officers for
Missing children at State Level and District levels. The details of these nodal officers have been uploaded
on Mission Vatsalya portal. Ministry of Home Affairs has also appointed a nodal officer to coordinate
with nodal officers from States and UTs on Mission Vatsalya and for collection of data from States and
UTs regarding missing children.
The scheme also provides for emergency outreach services (24x7x365) for children in difficult
circumstances through Child Helpline (1098) which is integrated with Emergency Response Support
System-112 (ERSS-112) Helpline of Ministry of Home Affairs.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Annpurna
Devi in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.
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