The Childline India Foundation (CIF) has withdrawn its volunteers from public spaces after the central government took over the responsibility for assisting abandoned children in June 2023. The government launched a new helpline, 112, with the aim of managing child assistance across the country. However, the establishment of command offices and...
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district staff has not been implemented in Madhya Pradesh. Consequently, government personnel are relying on old organizations for assistance, but these organizations are now withdrawing their support. The absence of Childline volunteers, particularly at railway stations, has led to a decline in the recovery of abandoned children. The new system for recruiting staff, proposed by the government, has been met with controversy and stalled due to concerns about religious conversion. While institutions are providing care for newborns, rape victims' children, and underage mothers' children, legal custody procedures are proving to be challenging for the understaffed Women and Child Development department, now burdened with additional responsibilities.