Camp held for providing Aadhaar to children living on streets

An NGO in collaboration with several child rights bodies has organised an Aadhaar registration camp for children living on the streets.

This camp, which began yesterday, is a major milestone following the launch of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for care and protection of children in street situations by Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi in February last year.

Aiming to reach more children, Save the Children NGO will hold another camp soon in southeast Delhi and north Delhi in April, which will enable children to also seek school admissions, a statement issued by NGO said.

The event was organised in collaboration with National Commission For Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR), Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) and the Salaam Balak Trust.

Rupa Kapoor, Member, NCPCR, said, Aadhaar is the best mechanism to link the children from vulnerable and street situations to the existing government schemes. This provision will ensure children come under a protective mechanism of services and are no longer victims of violence in any form.

In a recent survey, more than 60 per cent of children in four major cities of India were found to be without any identity proof.

No proof of their existence and no access to government entitlements has made them the most vulnerable groups, the statement said.