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The Supreme Court today directed National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the State Governments to submit their response on the issue revolving around children who had to discontinue their education due to dislocation of their parents or loss of livelihood of guardians due to COVID-19.

"NCPCR is directed to ponder upon this issue and submit response. State governments also to submit their course of action on how these children who have dropped out will be taken care of", ordered a bench of Justices L Nageshwar Rao and BR Gavai.

The matter will now be taken up on May 13.

The bench was hearing the suo-motu cognizance taken by the apex court in regards to the children who are in street situations.

Amicus Gaurav Aggarwal today referred to this issue before court, stating that apart from those who lost their parents during COVID, large number of children were also affected because their parents lost livelihood during COVID, and they had to drop out of school to help their parents.

Aggarwal added that the education department should look into it.

To this the Court said, "In view of Article 21A, states should look into it. ASG KM Nataraj to confirm with the authorities."

The division bench also took up the issue of video conferencing of child witnesses. 

When Justice Rao asked if video-conferencing was working well, Aggarwal replied saying that a pilot project was undertaken in Jaipur where a sessions trial has been completed.

"Victims of child trafficking who were residents of other states have been examined through video conferencing according to the facility created in courts near them", the Amicus informed the Court.

The bench also took note of the list of pending inter-state child trafficking cases furnished by the Amicus.

It then directed the Registrar to forward the list to various Registrars of High Courts who would further send it to concerned trial and sessions courts.

The court further said that Remote Point Coordinators and Court Point Coordinators could take assistance or guidance from NALSA for institutionalising inter-state issues in video conferencing.

"In case of any difficulty, NALSA can be approached, which is willing to coordinate with the video conferencing of victims of child trafficking. The trial courts are directed to give preference to these victims in these cases...", said the bench.

On the last hearing, the top court had directed States and Union Territories to follow the scheme suggested by NCPCR for the rehabilitation of Children in Street Situation (CiSS) unless they frame their own scheme.

Cause Title: IN RE Children In Street Situations