Coronavirus: 577 children orphaned between April 1 and May 25, says government

As many as 577 children across India were orphaned after their parents died due to the coronavirus disease from April 1 till Tuesday, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has said citing reports of states and Union Territories.

“GOI [Government of India] is committed to support and protect every vulnerable child due to loss of both parents to Covid-19,” Irani tweeted.

Reports said the Ministry of Women and Child Development took up the matter of children who lost both their parents to the virus after posts for adopting them started flooding social media.

GOI is committed to support and protect every vulnerable child due to loss of both parents to Covid-19. From 1st April 2021 till 2:00 PM today, the State Governments & UTs across the country have reported 577 children whose parents succumbed to Covid-19.

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) May 25, 2021

An official of the ministry told The Hindu that these children have not been abandoned. “They are under the watch and protection of the government,” the official added. “We have collected this data from each state government, and we are in touch with them to ensure that these children either get institutional care or are in the care of their immediate family.”

The official assured that the government will make…

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