Child rights panel plans database to help children who lost parents to the pandemic

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is working on a centralised digital database to monitor and help children who have lost both their parents to Covid-19, officials familiar with the matter said.

The database will help the Commission follow up regularly on the status of the vulnerable children and intervene wherever necessary. The platform, which is currently under development, is likely to go live before the end of the week. “The database and software will help in removing the bottlenecks in terms of the problems the vulnerable children are facing,” one of the officials said on the condition of anonymity. “The schemes available for child welfare, such as sponsorship will also be integrated with this database.”

NCPCR, on May 2, sought details from the states regarding the number of such vulnerable children. The data, the officials added, is still in the process of being collated.

The first official added that the database will help link the states with the Centre to ensure seamless aid for the vulnerable children.

The issue has become a point of concern after posts on social media seemed to suggest that children who had lost both parents to Covid-19 amidst the pandemic’s raging second wave, were up for adoption.

The move prompted the ministry of women and child develdistress opment to write to the union health ministry to seek the parents’ directions for children, in case neither of the parents survive the virus.

States such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Delhi have already stated that the government will take responsibility for children orphaned due to the pandemic. Congress party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure free education for such children