The Central Zone is followed closely by the East Zone which has about 5.20 million orphans and the number is estimated to soar to six million by 2021.
In the East Zone, Bihar followed by Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal belong to the poorest districts. Together the East and Central zones constitute the country’s poverty and child vulnerability belt.
Among the country’s other zones, the South Zone has about 3.47 million orphan children and this figure is expected to rise to 3.66 million by 2021. The North Zone has the second lowest number of orphan children in the country at 2.70 million, a figure that is estimated to reach 3.37 million. The West Zone has the lowest number of orphan children in the country at two million, and the number might rise to 2.36 million.
“The poverty belt of the country contributes significantly to the large number of orphan children in India. Migration of men from villages to urban slums is a continuous process, and most of the migration pattern is forced migration for survival or rebuilding lives, thus depriving children of parental care,” the report notes.
Rise in the number of children infected by HIV/AIDS also contributes significantly to orphaning of children. India has about 422 million children. Of these, 83 per cent children below 18 years live with both their parents; 11 per cent live with their mother but not father; two per cent live with father but not mother; and the remaining four per cent live with neither parent.
“This estimation was done by the SOS to assess the situation of orphan and vulnerable children in the country to make strategic decisions in terms of establishing new programmes and projects in various locations of the country. Government organisations and NGOs working for child rights must jointly work towards addressing the needs of these children by providing them with nutrition, education and protection,” said SOS Children’s Villages of India secretary-general Rakesh Jinsi. “Corporates too need to actively support child sponsorship programmes of NGOs that reach out to the children in need.”
The study found that five per cent children under age 18 have experienced the death of one or both parents. Three per cent have experienced the death of father, two per cent of mother, and 0.3 per cent of both parents. The proportion of children who have experienced the death of both parents increases with age and the number goes up to 10 per cent for children aged between 15 years to 17 years.
The study also revealed that the child population below 18 years constituted more than 41 per cent of the total population for the year 2001. The share of child population is on the decline in linewith the national population control strategies and by 2021 the child population is estimated at 37.1 per cent. About 20 million below the age of 18 do not receive adequate parental care and support as they do not have either of their parents. This number is estimated to rise to 24.35 million by 2021.