Child protection in india: From silos to systems

ABSTRACT

This chapter presents data on child protection issues of violence, abuse, trafficking, child labour, street children, child marriage, poverty, and child mortality in India. The paper then moves to present the policy position, various institutional mechanisms for child protection, different programmes and legislative provisions for children. Though we have very good policies, laws and programme designs, the numbers of children in distress and how India is falling behind compared to other countries in the world is of grave concern. The chapter not just highlights the mind-boggling numbers but also the resource limitations. With the COVID pandemic affecting the world and the subsequent lockdown, this has created a very worrisome situation with increased instances of violations of children’s right to survival, development and protection. As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the number of people in extreme poverty has risen from 84 million to 132 million during the pandemic, of who half are children (United Nations 2020). As the adult struggles for survival, the child, being the most vulnerable, is more likely to be exploited, abandoned and abused. In India, the allocation for children in the Union Budget 2019-2020 has shown a marginal increase of 0.05%, from 3.24% in the last fiscal year to 3.29% in the current fiscal year with a grant of INR 916.44billion (Ministry of Finance [MOF] 2019). The allocation to the government’s Integrated Child Protection Scheme aimed at preventing trafficking and providing care to missing, abandoned and orphaned children as well as rescue victims of child labour has increased in allocation. With the pandemic hitting the country during this period, this money could be still lying unused. Efforts should be made to establish systems that bring together all budget allocations for children in various ministries together. Child protection is not an issue just for non-governmental organisations. It should be in the mainstream for legislators, judiciary and executives;in other words, in the core of the mandate of the change makers and not just something that is the responsibility of families or communities or local authorities. India needs to develop synergies between different ministries and departments working for children and their rights, moving from silos to systems. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.