Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” which includes sub-scheme titled ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’. The scheme provides for necessaries like food, shelter homes, medical facilities, counselling, rehabilitation, basic documentation, skill development, economic linkages including education to the children/ children of persons found to be engaged in begging.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme under which support is provided to States and UT Governments for delivering services for children in need of care and difficult circumstances. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc.
Further, section 2 (14) (ii) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provides that a child who is found working in contravention of labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living on the street is included as a “Child in Need of Care and Protection”. The JJ Act, 2015 also provides for punishment with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to five years and fine of one lakh rupees in the case of employment of child for begging.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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