The National Human Rights Commission issued an advisory on Friday for the protection and rehabilitation of beggars. The move is intended to address the “root causes of begging” and provide such individuals with support and rehabilitation. States and Union Territories have been asked to implement the recommendations issued in the advisory and send an Action Taken Report within two months.
“Persons engaged in beggary face a number of challenges that impact their life and dignity. Beggary is not only a socio-economic problem but also reflects the failure of the society, where people are forced to beg to eke out their livelihood,” the document said.
The document called for the formation of a national database of people engaged in seeking alms before registering them in shelter homes and issuing identity cards. It also sought to ensure adequate care and compulsory education for young children, and vocational training for beggars.
The NHRC has also called for the establishment of an anti-begging framework and called for the states and UTs to work towards decriminalizing begging.
