Nagaland Government Launches Initiative to Enroll Child Beggars in Schools
Jul 17, 2025
In a significant move aimed at protecting the rights of marginalized children, the Nagaland Directorate of School Education has launched a drive to identify and enroll children involved in begging into government schools.
The initiative comes in response to a broader advisory issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which urged all states to prioritize the protection and rehabilitation of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and individuals with disabilities, who are often forced into begging.
Shashank Pratap Singh, the Principal Director of School Education, issued a directive encouraging members of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), municipal councils, town and village councils, churches, student unions, and the general public to report information about children involved in begging to the Child Helpline (1098). The goal is to ensure these children are enrolled in the nearest government schools.
The drive primarily targets children between the ages of 6 and 14 who are out of school—either never having been enrolled or having dropped out before completing elementary education. Additionally, children aged 3 to 6, whose parents are involved in begging and who have not been enrolled in pre-schools, Anganwadi centers, or Balvatika centers, are also included in the initiative.
The Department of School Education has instructed all District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs to work in close coordination with District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees. The aim is to ensure these children are integrated into the education system under the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
Despite the ongoing welfare schemes, the NHRC has expressed concern over the persistence of begging as a serious issue in India. The Commission has emphasized the need for targeted interventions to eliminate the practice, particularly when it involves children.
