As per information received from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), no such cases / reports regarding children forced to leave their homes for illegal child labour, smuggling and forced marriage during lockdown have come to the notice.

The State/UT-wise number of complaints relating to “Child kidnapping” received in NCPCR during the lockdown period and normal period respectively i.e. 2020-21, 2021-22 and the current year 2022-23 (till 30.06.2022) including from Uttar Pradesh is at Annexure-I.

The JJ Act, 2015 provides penal provisions for offences committed against the children, which includes employment of child for using of child for vending, peddling, carrying supplying or smuggling any intoxicating liquor, narcotic drug or psychotropic substance (under sections 77 & 78 of JJ Act 2015); and exploitation of a child employee (under section 79 of JJ Act 2015).

The JJ Act, 2015 has empowered the Child Welfare Committee to decide on matters relating to children in need of care and protection in the best interest of child. Under Section 27 of JJ Act, 2015, the State Government shall constitute one or more Child Welfare Committees for every district, for exercising the powers and to discharge the duties in relation to children in need of care and protection under the Act.

Ministry of Women and Child Development is supporting a Child Helpline as mandated under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Childline Services is defined under section 2(25) of the Act as a twenty-four hours emergency outreach service for children in crisis which links them to emergency or long-term care and rehabilitation service. At present, Childline is operational in 603 districts/locations and 138 Railway Stations in the country.

Further, a number of projects/ initiatives have also been undertaken under Nirbhaya Fund for strengthening the surveillance system for prevention of crimes against women and children. 330 Stations have been covered under the project of 'Integrated Emergency Response Management System (IERMS) for installing CCTVs and monitoring rooms at Railway Stations. All 67 Stations have been commissioned under the project of 'Provision of Video Surveillance System’ at Konkan Railway Stations. 696 AHTUs are functional in districts of States & UTs ' under the project for 'Setting up/ strengthening Anti-Human Trafficking Units.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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ANNEXURE - I

STATE/UT-WISE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RELATING TO “CHILD KIDNAPPING” RECEIVED IN NCPCR DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD AND NORMAL PERIOD RESPECTIVELY I.E. 2020-21, 2021-22 AND THE CURRENT YEAR 2022-23 (TILL 30.06.2022) INCLUDING FROM UTTAR PRADESH

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