Over 3,000 Children Orphaned Since April 2020: Child Panel

The National Commission for Child Rights (NCPCR), in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, said that as many as 3,621 children were orphaned, 26,176 lost either parent, and 274 were abandoned between April 1, 2020, and June 5, 2021.

However, the commission clarified that the deaths could be due to other reasons also, and not just due to COVID-19, reported The Indian Express.

It informed that out of the 30,071 children who have been identified to be in 'need of care and protection'—15,620 are boys, 14,447 girls, and four transgenders. Nearly 11,815 children are in the age group of 8 to 13, followed by 5,107 children in the age bracket of 4 to 7.

The figures were uploaded by states and Union Territories on the NCPCR's 'Baalswaraj' portal following a recent order by the Apex Court.

Maharashtra has topped the list with 7,084 children who are in need of care and protection. Ensued by Uttar Pradesh with 3,172 children and Rajasthan with 2,482. Meanwhile, there are three other states which have over 2,000 children in dire need of care and protection — Haryana (2,438), Madhya Pradesh (2,243) and Kerala (2,002).

While hearing a suo moto case on May 28, on the welfare of children in protection homes due to COVID-19, the Court had asked the states and UTs to upload data on the number of children affected since March 2020, reported The Indian Express.

While this is the second affidavit in the court, the first affidavit was filed on May 31 by the commission.

On Monday, the SC pulled up West Bengal and Delhi after Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Commission, told the bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Anirudha Bose that the two states were not uploading details on the portal.

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