Srinagar- The Union Territory government has constituted twenty Child Welfare Committees in Jammu and Kashmir and supported under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme for the protection of children, Minister of Women and Children Development Smriti Zubin Irani informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Mission Vatsalya Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme meant to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It lays emphasis on child rights, advocacy and awareness along with strengthening of the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to ‘leave no child behind’.
The minister was replying to Hasnain Masoodi, Member Parliament from south Kashmir’s Anantnag to the question on the steps being taken by the Government for the implementation of child protection in J&K.
Irani said, “The Ministry of Women and Child Development is administering the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) (as amended in 2021), which is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and wellbeing of children in all States/UTs including J&K. It defines standards of care and protection to secure the best interest of child”.
Under the JJ Act, 2015 (sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees 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), she said.
Similarly, the Juvenile Justice Boards are empowered to take decisions regarding the welfare of children in conflict with law (sections 04-09). At the national and state level, the JJ Act provides the National/State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights to monitor the implementation of the Act (section 109).
Irani further said that the Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Mission Vatsalya Scheme in all States/UTs including J&K, for care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances on predefined cost sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments.
Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, support is provided for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) and funds for Non-Institutional Care. Such children have access to both institutional and non-institutional care and rehabilitation under Mission Vatsalya Scheme.
“Ministry of Women and Child Development organised a workshop on strengthening child protection in Jammu & Kashmir in November, 2022 in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of J&K with the participation of the United Nations,” reads the response, a copy of which lies with Kashmir Observer.
Irani said that the Ministry regularly follows up with the State and UT Governments and various advisories have been issued, so as to ensure the effective implementation of Mission Vatsalya Scheme.
The government also provided district-wise number of Children Homes and Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) including mentally challenged orphans in J&K with each district in the UT having two children homes.
The minister further said that there are over 12 specialized adoption agencies for CNCP children, including mentally challenged orphans in Jammu and Kashmir include one each in Jammu, Srinagar, Bandipora, Rajouri, Kupwara and Baramulla, Shopian and Kulgam, Anantnag and Pulwama, Kathua & Samba, Reasi and Udhampur, Ramban and Doda, Kishtwar and Budgam
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
