GOVERNMENT'S NEW SCHEME PLAYSWITH ORPHANED CHILDREN

As the second wave of COVID-19 is by all accounts dispersing in the wake of unleashing destruction across India, a great many youngsters have lost one or both guardians afterward. The prospect of a surge of abandoned minors worries many. According to the government data between 1st April-25th May, 557 children were orphaned in the wake of coronavirus Such youngsters "are carrying on a passionate misfortune, yet they are additionally at high danger of disregard, misuse, and abuse", said UNICEF India's boss Yasmin Haque.

Tragic stories in the media and urgent calls for help on friendly channels uncover an overwhelming reality of our occasions. Web-based media requests are being made for breast milk and food for newborm children who have lost their moms. In any case, the greatness of the issue doesn't end with the flood in minors left without guardians and assets.

Some Covid vagrants are additionally being set up for unlawful selection via online media. While such requests could be good-natured, a few social activists and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani caution that these could be amazingly flighty and illicit approaches to managing this fragile issue.

"Under Indian law, a stranded youngster should be seen by an administration official and is placed in an organization if there are no family members to take care of them. "Our specialists are overburdened, individuals are bothered. It's amazingly simple in these conditions to misassign a kid to some dealing racket or a selection racket, said Akansha Srivastava, a network safety master who has dispatched a Covid helpline for youngsters. Srivastava said her helpline got in any event 300 calls and messages in a day to protect such kid.

To combat this humanitarian crisis, several state govermment's have stepped up to ensure that some help is given to these children.

KERALA: The Kerala government on Thursday, 20th May announced a special package for children orphaned by COVID-19 in the state. Under the package, initially an amount of Rs 3 lakhs will be given to the children as a lump sum.

UTTAR PRADESH: The Government of Uttar Pradesh has announced that it will take responsibility for those children who lost both their parents during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

ODISHA: The Odisha government has issued dedicated helpline 1098, OSCPSR helpline 1800-345-4494 and State Covid helpline 104 for immediate tracking of children in vulnerable situations. Temporary homes have been created m all 30 districts to keep the distressed children whose families were affected by COVID. The state has also promised to bear the cost of education and provide a monthly pension to these children