Punjab to Overhaul Anti-Begging Law, Use DNA for Child Rescue

In a landmark shift toward child protection, the Punjab government is set to amend the Punjab State Prevention of Begging Act, 1971, aligning it with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

- TARUNI GANDHI

This overhaul will decriminalize child begging and focus on rehabilitation, identity verification, and post-rescue care, marking a systemic departure from treating rescued children as offenders.

A major reason driving the reform is a serious flaw exposed in the state's Project Jeevanjyot 1.0, launched in September 2024. Of the hundreds of children rescued under the initiative, 57 later went missing—most due to the lack of a permanent address or identification. This prompted calls for stronger safeguards, especially scientific tools like DNA testing, to trace origins and ensure long-term protection.

Cabinet Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur, emphasized the paradigm shift: "We are not just changing a law, we are changing the lens through which we view street children—not as offenders, but as victims in need of urgent care."