Kuhima, July 16 (IANS) In a significant move aimed at protecting the rights of underprivileged children, the Directorate of School Education in Nagaland has issued an advisory to identify children involved in begging and enrol them into government schools, officials said on Wednesday.

An official said that the Directorate of School Education issued the advisory following the advisory issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the protection and rehabilitation of impoverished, uneducated children, women, and differently-abled individuals engaged in begging.

The Principal Director, School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, in his advisory has called upon members of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), Municipal councils, town and village councils, churches, student unions and the general public to report details of such children to the Child Helpline 1098, enabling their enrollment in the nearest government schools.

According to the official, the Department of School Education specifically seeks to identify out-of-school children aged 6 to 14 years who are not enrolled or have dropped out of school before completing elementary education, including those found begging.

Children aged 3 to 6 years whose parents are engaged in begging and have not enrolled their children in pre-school, Anganwadi, or Balvatika centres would also be identified, the advisory said.

All District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs have been instructed to coordinate with the concerned District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to facilitate the admission of such children as per the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009, the official said, quoting the advisory.

The NHRC has earlier issued an advisory to the Centre and state governments, and Union Territory administrations to develop strategies aimed at eliminating the need for begging and enhancing the quality of life for those involved in it.

The Commission has noted that despite a number of initiatives and welfare programmes implemented by both the Centre and state governments, the issue of begging persists across the country.

As per the 2011 census, there were more than 4.13 lakh beggars and vagrants in India. They include women, children, transgender and the elderly who are forced to beg for survival, the NHRC had said.

–IANS

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