In order to foster sensitization regarding various aspects of the PM Cares for Children Scheme, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) organized 4 virtual Regional Conclaves on PM Cares for Children Scheme on 22/04/2022 and 23/04/2022. PM Cares for Children Scheme was launched by the Prime Minister of India on 29th May 2021 to provide comprehensive support for children who have lost both their parents or legal guardians Adoptive Parents or Surviving Parents to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Scheme enables the well-being of such children through health insurance, empowers them through education, and equips them for self-sufficient existence with financial support. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has been anchoring the Scheme, which is leveraging technology to identify, register and support the children through an online portal.
The Virtual Conclave for North Eastern and Eastern Region covers the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Western Region covering the States/UTs of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh was organized on 22nd April 2022.
On 23rd April 2022, the Virtual Conclave was organized with the States/UTs from Northern Region including Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and States/UTs from Southern Region including Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Island and Puducherry.
In his welcome address, Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) highlighted that the objective of this conclave is to sensitize and bring in the roles being played by all the stakeholder Departments. He also mentioned that the Prime Minister of India is playing the role of a guardian to the children who have become orphans to extend the protection for up to 23 years with educational support, health care, scholarships etc. There are such children in all the districts and it is our request to link those children with the PM Cares for Children Scheme so that these children get all the benefits of the Scheme, he added.
