REHABILITATION OF BEGGARS

About: 

• As per the 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India and under serial no. 9 of State List, the subject matter of "Relief of the disabled and unemployable" comes under the State List. Thus, the States are responsible for taking necessary preventive and rehabilitative steps. 
  
  
• As many as 20 States and 2 UTs have either enacted their own Anti-Beggary Legislation or adopted legislations enacted by other States/UTs the most prominent is Bombay Prevention of Begging Act 1959 which classifies begging as a compoundable and non-bailable offence. 
  
  
• Presently, there is no central legislation for beggars in India. The Government of India has formulated the Persons in Destitution (Protection, Care and Rehabilitation) Model Bill of 2016, which contains a new framework for the rehabilitation of beggars. It is yet to be passed. 
  
  
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment released an amount of Rs. One crore during 2017-18 & fifty lakhs during 2018-19 to National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) for skill development programmes for beggars on pilot basis. 
  
  
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) with the objective of creating a safe and secure environment for children in need of care and protection including those children who are found begging.