Supreme Court of India asks Centre to share PM Care Funds scheme info for Orphaned Children due to Covid-19 situation

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the centre to immediately release funds from the PM cares fund for the education of children who have lost parents or legal guardians or orphaned during the pandemic.The Supreme Court Judges  L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose highlighted that education was the fundamental right of children.

 

Orphaned Children

Students had lost their parents after the Covid-19 virus began disrupting their lives. It was anxious about the future of children who studied in private schools. Children shouldnot lose the benefits of education because of pandemic.PM Cares fund come forward and immediately release some funds for the education of these children.

The Chief Justice said the Centre could coordinate with the states and help with the funds for education of children. The Chief Justice asked to enquire with the central authorities about the release the funds later in the day so that court could pass an appropriate order.The states can contact the central government for funds for the education of these children.It is also needed to identify whether the children were eligible for financial help under the PM cares fund.

Children are seperated into three categories ,Those who have lost both parents,Those who have lost either parent and Those who have lost their legal guardians. Concerned District Magistrates will identify those children. Information about these children has been uploaded by the states on National Commission for protection of Child Rights ( NCPCR) website.This information benefits children to get PM Cares Fund.

 

Gujarat and Maharastra had tied up with NGO's to aid the cause of education of children personally affected during the Caronavirus Pandemic days. The court requested the states to take care and protect children so that they will not fall in to "Undesirable Hands". The Children doesn't have the means to protect themelves so that states have to take the responsibility of protecting children so that they will not be thrown out of schools. There had been marked increase in child trafficking especially girls. The Central Government had an obligation to protect children.

The Educational requirements for children should be funded in the form of Uniforms, Textbooks etc that would offer Financial help to children for their higher education using this PM cares funding scheme. A corpus of Rs 10 Lakh was set aside for each child. The child would get this lump sum corpus amount on reaching the age of 23. He will also get the health insurance till the age of 18.