SC directs states to provide facilities to children in care homes for online classes

Anushka Mansharamani

The Supreme Court of India directed the States to submit the required infrastructure, stationery, and other facilities to the child-care institution for the online classes.

These facilities would be provided under the guidance of the district child protection units. These units have been directed by the Supreme Court to come up with a proper plan within 30 days.

These district units would also be monitoring the progress of the students and making subsequent reports each month.

The bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao ordered all the states to find out whether the children who had returned to their guardians during the lockdown have access to education and have sufficient financial help to continue their education.

It further ordered the States to assure that the educational institutions have a sufficient number of teachers and to provide a sum of Rs. 2000 per month to those children who were sent back to their guardians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bench looked into this matter as its attention was drawn to the fact that the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had earlier ordered that all children must be sent back to their parents to check the spread of the virus in the institutions.

The court observed that all the kids could not be sent back without the correct application of mind and without knowing their specific circumstances.

Lastly, Gaurav Agrawal, amicus curiae, told the court that 1,48,788 out of 2,27,518 children in child-care homes were temporarily sent to their guardians during the lockdown.

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