As per Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, subjects of Police and Public Order are with the State Governments. However, to address Left Wing Extremism (LWE) menace holistically, Government of India (GoI) approved ‘National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE’ in 2015 envisaging a multi-pronged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc. Steadfast implementation of this policy has resulted in consistent decline in LWE related violence and it’s geographical spread.
GoI has enacted the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) for children in distress situation including children in conflict with law (CCL) and children in need of care and protection (CNCP).
As per provisions of JJ Act, a child who is victim of or affected by any armed conflict, civil unrest or natural calamity, is included as a “child in need of care and protection”, among others. The Act mandates a safety net of service delivery structures including institutional and non institutional care mechanisms, to ensure the best interest of children.
As per the JJ Act, any non-state, self-styled militant group or outfit declared as such by the GoI, if recruits or uses any child for any purpose, shall be liable for criminal prosecution.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme, for supporting the States/Union Territories (UTs) in providing a framework for care and protection of children in distress conditions.
Under the scheme, institutional care is available for CNCP and CCL, including provisions for boarding, lodging and holistic development of children. The scheme also provides for non-institutional care wherein support is extended for adoption, foster care and sponsorship. The primary responsibility of implementation of the scheme rests with the States/UTs.
