Chandigarh, Dec 29 (IANS) In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Punjab has decided that if a child is found begging with an adult, a DNA test will be conducted to establish whether the accompanying person is the biological parent or not. As many as 807 children involved in begging have been rescued this year, and the government has initiated their rehabilitation.
State Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Baljit Kaur said child beggars are being rehabilitated under the Jeevanjyot campaign, which is not limited to rescue operations alone but also focuses on taking children off the streets and enrolling them in schools to ensure a secure future.
After rescue, priority is given to health check-ups, counselling, educational support and family rehabilitation to ensure that no child is pushed back into begging, she said.
Highlighting the government’s resolve to eradicate child begging, the minister said the Jeevanjyot project has been launched under which special enforcement drives are conducted across all districts during the second week of every month.
Further strengthening the campaign, Project Jeevanjyot 2.0 has been implemented to curb child trafficking and identify those forcing children into begging.
Kaur said the government is also aiming to eliminate the social evil of child marriage. She said that 64 child marriages were prevented this year, on time, with the support of 2, 076 notified Child Marriage Prohibition Officers across the state. Issuing a warning, the Cabinet Minister said any individual or gang found involved in child begging or child trafficking would face the strictest possible action under the law.
The state government has introduced DNA testing in suspicious cases where it is unclear whether the accompanying adult is the child’s biological parent. “DNA tests will be conducted with the approval of the Deputy Commissioner, and during the 15–20 day report period, the children will remain safely under government protection in Bal Ghar. If DNA reports confirm that the adults are not the biological parents, stringent legal action will be initiated, including charges under anti-trafficking and child protection laws, ” she said.
The minister said an FIR has already been registered in Bathinda, where 20 children were rescued from villages suspected of exploiting them for begging. More than 150 rescued children belonged to other states and were safely repatriated to their families, she said. She added that over 180 children were admitted to schools, while those below six years of age were enrolled in Anganwadi centres for early childhood care.
The government launched the mission in September 2024. Since then, rescue teams have formed district-level committees to identify and rescue children found begging across the state.
Despite these efforts, 57 children were found missing again from the schools or homes they were sent to, the minister said.
Project Jeevanjyot 2.0 brings together provisions of the Beggary Act, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, guidelines of the Supreme Court and High Court, and special operating procedures issued by the Punjab State Child Protection Commission.
Appealing to the public, the minister urged people to cooperate with the government in eliminating child begging and advised that if any child is seen begging, citizens should refrain from giving alms and immediately inform the Child Helpline number 1098 so that every child can be connected with education and lead a dignified life.