The State government has directed all the 1,550-odd children’s homes in Tamil Nadu to obtain Aadhaar cards for their inmates. The norm is now mandatory for the homes to obtain or renew licences and for registration under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
Orders to this effect were issued by Tamil Nadu State Child Protection Society, a joint body of the State and Central Governments set up to implement the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), which works for the protection of children from abuse or turning into juvenile offenders.
Official sources told The Hindu on Tuesday that the society has appointed a Bangalore-based agency to assist all the homes in Coimbatore in getting the Aadhaar card for their inmates. Coimbatore district had a total of 78 children’s homes having 4,436 children as inmates.
The agency personnel were in Coimbatore last week and met officials of the District Child Protection Unit and several children’s homes as well. They are giving priority to homes whose registrations are up for renewal in the near future.
The homes have also been instructed to update the Unique Identification Number of the children in the nation-wide online child tracking system operated by the Department of Social Defence in coordination with the Police department.
A senior official said the system helped restore 52 missing children in Tamil Nadu to their families in the past couple of years. This network will contain all the details about the children, such as age, gender, identification marks and native tongue.
The homes must now affix a photocopy of the Aadhaar Card of all their inmates while submitting documents for registration.
The recognition is initially valid for a year and could be renewed for three to five years later.
Many of the inmates in the homes have a single parent, who are unable to take care of their children.
Mandatory for obtaining or renewing licences or registration
