New Delhi: Creating a national database and drafting a national policy for protection and rehabilitation of people engaged in begging are among the recommendations in an NHRC advisory issued on Friday.
The advisory was issued to the Center and state governments to develop strategies to eliminate the need for begging and improve the quality of life of those involved in it, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.
He noted that despite a series of welfare initiatives and programs implemented by the central and state governments, begging persisted across the country.
According to the 2011 census, there were more than 4,13,000 (4.13 lakh) beggars and vagrants in India, he said.
In its recommendations, the NHRC asked the authorities to draft a national policy for the protection and rehabilitation of persons involved in begging, to prepare and implement welfare plans for them with targeted financial assistance, vocational training, poverty alleviation and employment opportunities and ongoing monitoring and supervision. through executive actions for the implementation of these frameworks.
He also recommended conducting a sociological and economic impact assessment to legislate an anti-human trafficking law to curb any forced begging fraud. "This law should identify begging as one of the root causes of human trafficking and include criminal offenses against perpetrators."
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will develop a standardized survey format to collect detailed information with the help of municipal corporations or government agencies to build a national database of people engaged in begging with their physical, mental and social status , which must be updated periodically on an online portal accessible to all interested parties, according to the statement.
The rights panel also called for ensuring that after the identification process was completed, people engaged in begging were taken to shelter homes (as mentioned in the Supporting Marginalized People for Livelihood and Enterprise or SMILE programme) located within cities or districts, and registered. as residents and identity cards issued by the relevant authorities.
Particular emphasis should be placed on addressing the needs of children, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and substance abusers involved in begging, in accordance with the existing provisions of the law applicable to these specific groups, it said. in their recommendations. .
Other recommendations include registering and registering all children between six and 14 years old involved in begging in schools under the Right to Education Act and providing skill development and vocational training to foster home residents in collaboration with centers vocational training recognized by the government to enable them to live a dignified life.
It also recommended that NGOs or civil society groups help shelter home residents form self-help groups and access loans for self-employment.
State governments have been asked to launch campaigns to ensure the eradication of organized or forced begging in all its forms. To achieve this goal, anti-begging cells can be started involving various stakeholders including NGOs or CSOs and human rights advocates, he said.
The advisory was issued to the Center and state governments to develop strategies to eliminate the need for begging and improve the quality of life of those involved in it, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.
He noted that despite a series of welfare initiatives and programs implemented by the central and state governments, begging persisted across the country.
According to the 2011 census, there were more than 4,13,000 (4.13 lakh) beggars and vagrants in India, he said.
In its recommendations, the NHRC asked the authorities to draft a national policy for the protection and rehabilitation of persons involved in begging, to prepare and implement welfare plans for them with targeted financial assistance, vocational training, poverty alleviation and employment opportunities and ongoing monitoring and supervision. through executive actions for the implementation of these frameworks.
He also recommended conducting a sociological and economic impact assessment to legislate an anti-human trafficking law to curb any forced begging fraud. "This law should identify begging as one of the root causes of human trafficking and include criminal offenses against perpetrators."
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will develop a standardized survey format to collect detailed information with the help of municipal corporations or government agencies to build a national database of people engaged in begging with their physical, mental and social status , which must be updated periodically on an online portal accessible to all interested parties, according to the statement.
The rights panel also called for ensuring that after the identification process was completed, people engaged in begging were taken to shelter homes (as mentioned in the Supporting Marginalized People for Livelihood and Enterprise or SMILE programme) located within cities or districts, and registered. as residents and identity cards issued by the relevant authorities.
Particular emphasis should be placed on addressing the needs of children, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and substance abusers involved in begging, in accordance with the existing provisions of the law applicable to these specific groups, it said. in their recommendations. .
Other recommendations include registering and registering all children between six and 14 years old involved in begging in schools under the Right to Education Act and providing skill development and vocational training to foster home residents in collaboration with centers vocational training recognized by the government to enable them to live a dignified life.
It also recommended that NGOs or civil society groups help shelter home residents form self-help groups and access loans for self-employment.
State governments have been asked to launch campaigns to ensure the eradication of organized or forced begging in all its forms. To achieve this goal, anti-begging cells can be started involving various stakeholders including NGOs or CSOs and human rights advocates, he said.
