Taking a firm step toward protecting the rights of underprivileged children, the Directorate of School Education (DoSE), Government of Nagaland, has issued an official advisory to identify and enroll children involved in begging into government schools.
The notification, dated 17 June 2025, comes in response to an earlier advisory issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the protection and rehabilitation of impoverished, uneducated children, women, and differently-abled individuals engaged in begging.
Signed by Principal Director Shashank Pratap Singh, IAS, the advisory urges NGOs, municipal/town/village councils, churches, student unions, and the general public to report such cases to the Child Helpline 1098, enabling their enrollment in the nearest government school.
The Department of School Education seeks to specifically identify: Out-of-school children aged 6–14 who are not enrolled or have dropped out before completing elementary education, including those found begging; and Children aged 3–6 whose parents are engaged in begging and who are not enrolled in pre-schools, Anganwadi, or Balvatika centers.
All District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs under Zunheboto district have been instructed to coordinate with the concerned District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to facilitate the enrollment process, as per the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009.