March 29, New Delhi: Save the Children released two research reports on street children: ‘Situation Analysis of Street Children in 5 Cities of India’ (Hyderabad, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow and Mughalsarai) and ‘Policy Mapping Study on Street Children’. The reports were released by eminent civil society members, including Stuti Narain Kacker, Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) at an event held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Street children are ubiquitous but their lives continue to remain shrouded in mystery and little is known and understood about the conditions in which they live in our cities. With not much evidence being there to inform and influence the policy-makers, the interventions meant for street children have not shown the desired results. This is the gap our study aims to address.

Launching the report, from Right to Left: Mr Prasann Thatte (National Manager – Research, Save the Children), Bidisha Pillai (Director – Advocacy, Campaigns and Communications, Save the Children), Stuti Narain Kacker (Chairperson, NCPCR), Mamta Kohli (from DFID, UK) and Mr Bahadur (Director, Rainbow Homes).

Beginning by enumerating street children in five cities, the reports capture and analyze the myriad issues faced by street children and makes some truly pertinent recommendations which can be adopted at both state and national level. The report has been prepared with support from NCPCR, Department for International Development, UK (DFID), Association for Rural and Urban Needy (ARUN) and Karvy Insights.