Nagaland's Initiative to Enroll Underprivileged Children in Schools

The Directorate of School Education in Nagaland has launched an initiative to enroll underprivileged children involved in begging into government schools. This move follows a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission aimed at protecting and rehabilitating impoverished children. The advisory encourages NGOs and the public to report such children to a dedicated helpline, facilitating their enrollment. The initiative targets out-of-school children aged 6-14 and younger children whose parents beg. District officials are tasked with ensuring compliance with the Right to Education Act, 2009, to secure these children's access to education.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 16, 2025, 11:16 IST

Government's New Advisory for Child Enrollment

Kohima, July 16: In a pivotal step towards safeguarding the rights of disadvantaged children, the Directorate of School Education in Nagaland has released an official advisory aimed at enrolling children who are involved in begging into government educational institutions. This notification, dated June 17, aligns with the recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) focused on the protection and rehabilitation of impoverished, uneducated children, women, and individuals with disabilities engaged in begging.

The advisory, endorsed by Principal Director Shashank Pratap Singh, urges NGOs, municipal bodies, village councils, churches, student organizations, and the general public to report information about these children to the child helpline at 1098, facilitating their enrollment in local government schools.

The Department of School Education is particularly interested in identifying out-of-school children aged between 6 to 14 years who are either not enrolled or have dropped out before completing their elementary education, including those found begging. Additionally, it aims to locate children aged 3 to 6 years whose parents are involved in begging and who are not registered in preschool, Anganwadi, or Balvatika centers.

District Education Officers, Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and senior SDEOs in Zunheboto district have been instructed to collaborate with District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to ensure these children are admitted in accordance with the Right to Education Act, 2009.