New Delhi, January 15th, 2013

Expressing serious concern over unabated instances of missing children in the country, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC said that all the states needed to act proactively. He was addressing the National Conference on 'Missing Children' organized by the NHRC in New Delhi today. He said that despite so many interventions including from the NHRC and MHA the data on missing children is not being maintained properly by all the states. There is a need to overcome the chasm between the intent and implementation of initiatives for protection of child to overcome the problem.

Justice Balakrishnan said that India is blessed in the sense that it has the largest child population in the world. There are about 43 crore (430 million) children in the age group of 0-18 years. It is estimated that about 40 per cent of them are living in difficult situations and are vulnerable to many natural and man made circumstances leading to their exploitation.

Quoting NCRB data of 2011, he said that 76,125 children were reported missing and of these, 30,811 were still untraceable and most of them were girls. West Bengal reported the highest number of 19,254, followed by 12,154 from Madhya Pradesh, 6,054 from Delhi and 5,470 from Andhra Pradesh. The situation was not encouraging in the States of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, Prof. Shantha Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) inaugurating the conference said that prompt information on missing children to the Commission would help their cause. She said that without cooperation from all the stakeholders one faces at times a situation of extreme helplessness.

Mr. Prem Narain, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development said that as per an official estimate 60-70 thousand children go missing every year. Out of this, 30-40 per cent remained untraced. However, the government was committed to overcome this problem with cooperation from various stakeholders including state agencies, NHRC, Child Rights Commissions, civil society. He said that missing children tracking system has been developed by NIC, which, if used effectively, would help reduce the problem. Integrated child protection scheme was also being implemented by the Ministry.

Useful contributions were made by reps of M/o WCD, UNICEF, Chairpersons and Members of Commissions for protection of child rights of M.P and Delhi. Seniors civil and police officers of states added value to the crucial issues of reporting, tracing and rehabilitation.

The conference, per se was not confined to more than two dozen officers only, a large representation from the non-governmental sector was discernible. The latter group came out with several comments and suggestions with regard to flagged items.

The broad suggestions and recommendations that emerged at the end of the marathon five sessions were during the discussion some of which are as follows:

1. Child related problems have to be made more visible. Various planning measures should not stop at district level. There is a need to go further into sub-District and even household level.
2. Community has to play a major role through Welfare Committees, involving school teachers, Anganwadis workers, Punchayat reps etc.
3. There seems to be divergence between official and non-official statistics relating to missing children. Tracking System being developed would help (under Integrated Child Protection Scheme). Existing system should be converged with CCTNS.
4. Child Line Services being important, have to be streamlined and encouraged.
5. FIR should be allowed to be lodged in all cases of missing children.
6. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) need to be developed in all states(already in place in Delhi & MP).
7. Regular reports by states have to be sent to NCPCR. At the same time, Feedback needs to be given to parents. Missing Persons Bureau should be established in all States.
8. Inclusivity in School Education curriculum is necessary. RTE and other developmental Schemes should be properly implemented without undermining need for convergence.
9. Sponsorship Programmes for vulnerable children would help. There is a Need for regulation of placement agencies.
10. States having child tracking system should migrate to the National Tracking System for missing and vulnerable Children being developed by Ministry of Woman and Child Development. Hardware has to be made available.
11. There is a strong Need for Child Relief Fund, proper counselling and residential facilities for homeless. Sufficient compensation has to be ensured for trafficked children as in case of rescued child labour.
12. Children up to 18 years should be covered and distinction made between hazardous and non-hazardous industries should go.
13. Establishment of a Central Agency to trace missing children.
14. Emergency Response System not only to be provided but to be taken very seriously by all stakeholders as First 24 hours were crucial in the opinion of all.
15. Accountability not only needs to be ensured but responsibility to be fixed for deviant action of public servants. This will itself be a cardinal prevention device.
16. In order to have a permanent solution to the problem of missing children, poverty in general has to be ameliorated by providing land to landless.
Different stakeholders, including senior administrative and police officers representing the concerned ministries and departments of centre and 26 state governments, 20 representatives of NGOs, Child Rights Commissions, SHRCs, NHRC, Member and senior officers participated in the discussions.

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