Identification Of Orphans Due To Covid Does Not Brook Any Further Delay: Supreme Court

"The identification of children who have lost both parents or one parent after March 2020 does not brook any further delay," the bench said.

Observing that identification of children who have lost parents due to COVID-19 does not brook any further delay, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed the state governments and union territories (UTs) to file status reports giving particulars about the number of children who have become orphan after March 2020. A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose directed the the District Magistartes to issue necessary instructions to the district child protection officers to take assistance of the police, civil society, gram panchayats, anganwadi and ASHA workers for identification of orphans. The top court said this is in addition to mechanisms available in Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and rules. "The identification of children who have lost both parents or one parent after March 2020 does not brook any further delay," the bench said.