Tamil Nadu tops child care institution count under Mission Vatsalya

Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of children residing in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) under the Mission Vatsalya scheme for the 2025‑26 period, with 11,217 children. The figure surpassed those in West Bengal (7,725) and Odisha (7,311) and was disclosed by Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. Thakur reiterated that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, provides the legal framework for the protection of children in need of care and those in conflict with the law, and mandates the establishment of Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards and District Child Protection Units across districts.

The ministry also highlighted its integrated Mission Vatsalya portal, which now incorporates the TrackChild portal and the Khoya‑Paya application to aid in tracing missing and found children. Data on missing children are compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau and published in its Crime in India report up to 2024.