§ 08Children

Care, protection and the early years

The public systems that surround a child in India — from the Anganwadi in the first six years to the Child Welfare Committee and the Child Helpline when a child needs care and protection.

This chapter describes those systems from official sources, then lists the Minister’s documented part in them. No photographs of children or field programmes are held in this archive; the illustration is drawn.

Illustration: the first years of life Three overlapping arches in rose, saffron and sage above a fine timeline marked conception, birth, 1,000 days and six years. CONCEPTION BIRTH 2 YEARS 6 YEARS the first 1,000 days
Fig. 1The first six years, and within them the first 1,000 days from conception to a child’s second birthday — the period national nutrition and early-childhood programmes emphasise.

A life course

Which system serves a child, and when

  1. 0–1,000 days

    Pregnancy to age two

    Supplementary nutrition for pregnant and lactating women; maternity benefit under PMMVY; growth monitoring and counselling.

    Anganwadi · PMMVY
  2. 0–3 years

    Early stimulation

    Responsive care and play guided by the national framework Navchetana, launched in March 2024.

    Anganwadi · home visits
  3. 3–6 years

    Pre-school learning

    Early childhood care and education through the Aadharshila curriculum and Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi; NEP 2020’s foundational stage.

    Anganwadi · ECCE
  4. 6–14 years

    Right to education

    Free and compulsory schooling under Article 21A and the RTE Act, 2009, monitored by the NCPCR.

    School · NCPCR
  5. 0–18 years

    Care and protection

    Every person under eighteen is a child under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015; protection services run under Mission Vatsalya.

    CWC · DCPU · 1098

Mission Vatsalya

Child protection and welfare

Budget Estimate 2026–27: ₹1,550 crore (Union Budget, Demand No. 101).

Mission Vatsalya is the Ministry’s umbrella scheme for children in difficult circumstances. It funds the statutory bodies created by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 — Child Welfare Committees and Juvenile Justice Boards — along with State Child Protection Societies and District Child Protection Units that run services on the ground.

It supports two kinds of care. Institutional care is provided through Child Care Institutions. Non-institutional, family-based care covers sponsorship, foster care, adoption and after-care for young people leaving institutions at eighteen (PIB 2238258, 2239613).

Child Helpline 1098

A free, round-the-clock emergency helpline for children in need of care and protection, now integrated with the Emergency Response Support System (112) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry reported installation completed in 728 districts as of 1 January 2026.

PIB 2238258; PIB note “Foundations of Women Empowerment”, 6 March 2026.

Child rights

The legal framework

JJ Act, 2015
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 governs children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law. The 2021 amendment — passed by the Lok Sabha on 24 March 2021 and the Rajya Sabha on 28 July 2021 — authorised District Magistrates, including Additional District Magistrates, to issue adoption orders (PIB 1740011). As a member, she took part in the Lok Sabha debate on the amendment.
POCSO Act, 2012
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 defines and penalises sexual offences against children, with child-friendly procedures and special courts. The Minister replied on the Act in the Lok Sabha on 6 February 2026 (PIB 2224436).
CPCR Act, 2005
The Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005 constitutes the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which monitors the JJ Act, the POCSO Act and the RTE Act.
PCMA, 2006
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 is enforced through Child Marriage Prohibition Officers — more than 60,700 of whom were listed on the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat portal by February 2026 (PIB 2222998).

The adoption ecosystem

Legal adoption through CARA

The Central Adoption Resource Authority is a statutory body of the Ministry that regulates in-country and inter-country adoption of children in India. Adoptions follow the Adoption Regulations, 2022, in force from 23 September 2022, under which District Magistrates issue adoption orders.

For its 2026 awareness year CARA adopted the theme “Legal Adoption. Safe Childhood. Secure Future. Say No to Illegal Adoption!” (PIB 2305520, 1 September 2026). On 4 October 2024 the Minister visited CARA’s new office in New Delhi and reviewed adoption processes (PIB 2061994).

Reported figure · FY 2024–25

4,515

child adoptions in 2024–25 — described by the Ministry as a record and the highest since 2015–16. Of these, 4,155 were domestic adoptions.

PIB 2117433, 1 April 2025.

Institutions

The Ministry’s associated organisations

The Ministry lists four associated organisations (wcd.gov.in, About Us).

NCPCR

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

Statutory body under Section 3 of the CPCR Act, 2005; protects and monitors child rights.

CARA

Central Adoption Resource Authority

Statutory body regulating adoption; operates the adoption portal.

NCW

National Commission for Women

Statutory body since January 1992 under the NCW Act, 1990.

SPNIWCD

Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development

Training and research; formerly NIPCCD. Regional centres include Ranchi (opened July 2025) and Indore.

A national campaign

Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat

On 27 November 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, the Minister launched the national campaign Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat — a child-marriage-free India — together with the Child Marriage Free Bharat Portal, and led a national pledge. The launch release noted the rise in the sex ratio at birth from 918 in 2014–15 to 930 in 2023–24 (PIB 2078032).

A 100-day intensive campaign began on 4 December 2025, working through educational institutions, religious institutions and marriage service providers. Replying in the Rajya Sabha on 4 February 2026, the Minister reported that awareness programmes had reached over 6 crore citizens and that more than 28 lakh pledges had been registered (PIB 2222998).

The record

Documented ministerial activities

  1. 13 June 2024Visited the Children Home for Girls and the Child Welfare Committee at the Nirmal Chhaya complex, Delhi. PIB 2025198
  2. 4 October 2024Visited CARA’s new office and reviewed adoption processes. PIB 2061994
  3. 27 November 2024Launched Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat and the Child Marriage Free Bharat Portal. PIB 2078032
  4. 26 December 2024Present at Veer Baal Diwas at Bharat Mandapam, where Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards were conferred on 17 children. PIB 2087551, 2088080
  5. 3 September 2025Jointly launched the Guidelines for Co-location of Anganwadi Centres with Schools. PIB 2163452
  6. 18 December 2025Chaired the Consultative Committee of MPs on Mission Vatsalya. PIB 2206220
  7. 24 January 2026Issued a message on National Girl Child Day. PIB 2218323
  8. 26 February 2026At SPNIWCD, met parents using the Child Guidance Centre and Adolescent Guidance Service Centre, and opened a renovated hostel. PIB 2233646
  9. 7 August 2026Answered a starred question on the implementation of Mission Vatsalya in the Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha AS291