Portal ‘Bal Swaraj

Portal ‘Bal Swaraj

Part of: Prelims and GS-II – Children issues

Context The Supreme Court directed States to take immediate steps to identify and rescue homeless children hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The court said their details should be uploaded on the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) portal ‘Bal Swaraj.
• The court said the process of collecting the information with regard to the social background of the children and identification of benefits under the individual care plan had to be conducted by the Child Welfare Committees under the Juvenile Justice law.

What is Bal Swaraj Portal?

• Created by: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) 
• Significance: NCPCR has developed it as part of its role of a monitoring authority under section 109 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and to address the growing problem of Children being affected by COVID-19. 
• Objective: 
  • Online tracking and 
  • Real-time monitoring of Children who have lost both parents/either of the parents during COVID-19 and are in need of care and protection
• Working: It will track children affected by COVID-19 right from the production of children before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to the restoration of the children to their parent/guardian/relative and its subsequent follow-up.
• The data will be filled in the portal by the District officers and State officers for each child.