The Supreme Court on Friday passed a slew of directions, including setting up of a database of children living in orphanages and child care institutions to ensure their safety and welfare.
A Bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta directed the Centre, States and union territories (UTs) to complete the registration of all child care institutions by year-end.
The court said the registration process should also include a database of all children in need of care and protection and update it every month.
‘Ensure privacy’
It asked the authorities concerned to ensure confidentiality and privacy in maintaining the database.
The Bench said it was not necessary that every child in need of care and protection must be placed either in a child care institution and alternative option like adoption and foster care could seriously be considered.
The verdict came on a PIL petition filed on the basis of a 2007 newspaper report alleging that orphanages in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, run by NGOs as well as government institutions, were reportedly involved in systematic sexual abuse of children.
“It is imperative that the Union government and the governments of States and UTs must concentrate on rehabilitation and social re-integration of children in need of care and protection,” the Bench said.
Skill development
It said Centre’s schemes such as skill development and vocational training must be taken advantage of keeping in mind the need to rehabilitate such children.
The Bench also directed the States and UTs to set up ‘Inspection Committees’ before July 31 to conduct regular inspections of child care institutions and prepare reports of such inspections so that the living conditions of kids there undergo positive changes.
The first report after conducting the inspection should be filed before the government concerned by December 31.
It directed that the process for preparing individual child care plans must be initiated immediately and an individual plan must be prepared for each child in each such centre on or before December 31.
The court also directed that all vacancies in State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) be filled by the end of this year.
“It is time that the governments of the States and Union Territories consider de-institutionalisation as a viable alternative,” it said.
The Bench said it was imperative that the process of conducting a social audit must be taken up in right earnest by the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights as well as by each State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
The Centre was asked to file a report by January 15.
