Daijiworld Media Network - Kohima

Kohima, Jul 16: In a step toward safeguarding the rights of underprivileged children, the Nagaland Directorate of School Education has issued a directive to identify and enroll children involved in begging into government schools, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The move comes in response to a broader advisory by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which urged all states to prioritize the protection and rehabilitation of marginalized groups, including children, women, and the differently-abled, who are forced into begging.

Principal Director of School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, issued a public appeal urging NGOs, municipal and village councils, churches, student unions, and citizens to report such cases to Child Helpline 1098. The goal is to integrate these children into the formal education system through the nearest government schools.

The department specifically aims to identify out-of-school children aged 6 to 14 years, including those who have never been enrolled or have dropped out before completing elementary education. Children aged 3 to 6 years whose parents are engaged in begging and are yet to be enrolled in pre-schools, Anganwadi or Balvatika centres are also part of the initiative.

All District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs have been instructed to work closely with District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to ensure these children are brought under the ambit of the Right to Education Act, 2009.

The NHRC has emphasized that despite ongoing welfare schemes, begging remains a persistent issue in India. Citing the 2011 Census, it noted that over 4.13 lakh people—including women, children, transgender individuals, and the elderly—were engaged in begging across the country.

This new advisory aims not only to eliminate child begging but also to give these children a chance at formal education and a better future.