: Covid-19 has devastated many lives and it is “heart wrenching” that the survival of children who lost either or both parents during the pandemic is at stake, the Supreme Court said, but expressed satisfaction over schemes announced by the Centre and States to provide succour to them.

The apex court said that “satisfactory progress” has been made by the Executive in identifying children who have either become orphans or have lost one of their parents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are glad that the UoI (Union of India) and the state governments/Union Territories have announced schemes to provide succour to the children in need. We have no doubt that the authorities concerned would leave no

stone unturned to attend to the immediate basic needs of the crestfallen children,” said a bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose.

The top court, which was hearing a suo motu matter on ‘Contagion of Covid-19 on children protection homes’, noted in its order that over one lakh children have lost either or both parents during the pandemic.

“The catastrophe caused by the cataclysmic Covid-19 has devastated many lives, especially children at a tender age who have lost their parents,” the bench said, adding that “it is heart wrenching to note that the survival of so many children is at stake.”

It said inquiries by Child Welfare Committee (CWCs), in accordance with provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, have to be expedited to identify those children who are in need of care and protection.

Immediate steps also have to be taken to ensure that benefits of schemes reach the needy minors, the bench said.

The apex court said all children have a constitutional right to free and compulsory elementary education and the State has a duty and obligation to facilitate education for children.