Covid deaths: 1.47 lakh kids lost their parents since April 2020

New Delhi, January 16

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has informed the Supreme Court that a total of 1,47,492 children since April 1, 2020, have lost either their mother or father or both parents due to Covid-19 and other reasons.

Giving the details in a suo motu matter on children in need of care and protection due to loss of parents during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NCPCR said its figures are based on data uploaded by states and Union Territories on its “Baal Swaraj Portal-Covid care” up to January 11.

“That it is most humbly reiterated that the data of children uploaded on the portal by the states/UTs comprises both categories of children, wherein the child has lost both or either of the parent to Covid-19 disease or otherwise from April 2020 onwards,” the affidavit filed through advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi said.

The commission said the maximum number of such children were from Odisha (24,405), followed by Maharashtra (19,623), Gujarat (14,770), Tamil Nadu (11,014), UP (9,247) and Andhra Pradesh (8,760). —