The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has filed an affidavit on 1^st June 2021 in In Re contagion of covid 19 virus in children protection homes, stating that the number of children in need of care and protection due to COVID is 9346, including 140 abandoned children. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has orphaned 1742 children, and 7464 children lost at least one parent during the pandemic.

This came as a response to the previous hearing on 28^th May 2021 when the Supreme Court had directed the district authorities to upload the information of children who have become orphans after March 2020 on the portal “Bal Swaraj”.  The NCPCR, which is a statutory body constituted under Section 3 of the Commission for protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 has filed an affidavit in which the available data of children who have lost either of the parents or lost both the parents including those children who have been abandoned has been provided.  

After the current hearing, the Apex Court directed the State Governments to nominate a Nodal Officer at the level of Secretary/Joint Secretary of the concerned department to interact with the learned Amicus Curiae. They shall provide all necessary information relating to the identification of the orphans/CNCP’S and the action taken by the District authorities for the welfare of such children. The learned Amicus Curiae shall submit a detailed report thereafter to this Court along with his suggestions about the measures to be adopted further in the interest of orphans/CNCP’s.

– Esha Shah, Paralegal