III) Important Advisories/Circulars at Central and State levels

- Recommendations made by an Expert Committee appointed by Chief Minister of

Karnataka said that lockdown should continue for all educational institutions and Tutorials until 31st May 2020, though online classes for students to be encouraged in all those institutions.

- Minister Higher & technical Education, Government of Maharashtra directed that considering the feasibility of conducting exams the terminal (final) examinations should not be conducted and urged to consider option of promoting the students without conducting exams of last year for UG/PG and grade them as per UGC guidelines.

- Education department of Bihar issued order to all government, non-government (private) schools, colleges, universities, training institutes and coaching centres of Bihar to be closed till 31st March 2020 and examinations to be postponed. However, teaching and non-teaching staff shall be present at their institutes.

- Directorate of Education, School Branch in Delhi ordered for school closure till October with instruction to continue Online classes and teaching learning activities and continuous flow of information to students of Covid safe practices (mask, distancing, hand hygiene) before any online class

Measures related to child protection: COVID 19 produced disruptions have adversely affected the children's wellbeing and protection, especially those belonging to vulnerable social groups like scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and children of migrant workers. To ensure protection and safeguard the safety of children in institutional care, some initiatives were taken by state governments.

- In Delhi, Juvenile Justice Committee under High Court of Delhi instructed institutions having children in conflict with the law to provide interim relief to the children during the present lockdown at the time of their release on bail/parole/ discharge unless denied. The order also mentioned about a cash relief of Rs 1500/- to be paid by the JJ Fund and dry ration including rice- 5 kg, dal- 2kg, sugar-1kg to each child in those institutions.

- Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) issued order to Labour

Department to send a fresh list of placement agencies to check that any of the placement agencies are engaging in illegal employment of children and trafficked persons.

III) Important Advisories/Circulars at Central and State levels36

1) Circular from Ministry of consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Dept. of Food

& Public Distribution: The Government approved the proposal for grant of ex-gratia for

36 Measures are collected and collated from government websites on circulars, guidelines, SOPs as well as from news paper report

monetary compensation to 108,714 workers and officers of the food and Corporation of India(FCI) including 80,000 labour who had been working 24x7 to supply food grains across the country amidst the outbreak of Coronavirus Pandemic. Government had decided to provide ex-gratia monetary compensation to all employees and labour of FCI who are working tirelessly despite the threat of infections due to Coronavirus COVID19.Under its provisions, during the six month period from March 24,2020- 23rd Sept,2020 if any body dies due to COVID-19 infection while on duty with FCI Labour will get an exgratia of Rs.15 lakh, Contractual Labour will be entitled to Rs.10 lakh,Category-1 Officers 35 lakh,Category-2 Rs.30 lakh and Category 3 and 4 workers Rs.25 lakh.

2) FCI to provide Food grains to Non-NFSA beneficiaries having State Ration cards, 5kg per

person per month for 3 months; NGOs can buy without any limit: Under the PM Garib

Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), a total of 12.1 MMT of food grains are being supplied to 81 crore people in 3 months. Different states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana etc has been approached by the FCI for transportation of stacks for equitable distribution throughout the nation.

3) Addendum to NCPCRs Advisory regarding Care and Protection of Children moving with migrant families, Children living on streets, Child care institutions in lights of COVID-19

dated 28.03.2020: Child Protections agencies of the government has well-functioning

CCI’s, at time of pandemic more support as to be given by the government. Additional applications were given to the NCPCR, which is as follows:  In case of children with families, adequate food for children and food appropriate for infants be made available.  If the release of funds to the CCIs is pending, it should be expedited and funds be provided at the earliest  Children staying in Hostels, Madarsas or other Government/Private residential institutions is advised to continue to stay there due to the lockdown. In such cases, the District Collector/Magistrate should ensure that these CCI’s take full responsibility for the complete care of the child. No institution should ask children to vacate the institute.  Support from CHILDLINE may be sought to conduct visit to these institutions.

4) MHA DO Lr. Dt. 16.05.2020 to Chief secretaries and Administrators regarding Online

National Migrant Information System Dashboard: The key features of this can be enlisted as follows:  The online portal (NMIS) would maintain a central repository of migrant workers and help in speedy inter-state communication to facilitate the smooth movement of migrant workers to their native places.

 The key data pertaining to the persons migrating has been standardized for uploading such as name, age, mobile no., originating and destination district, date of travel etc.  Through the contact details, migrants would have easier access to information and can be informed of travel details.  A Unique ID is generated for each migrant, which would be used for all transactions  States will be able to visualize how many people are going out from where and how many are reaching their destination States.  Additional advantages like contact tracing, which may be useful in overall Covid-19 response work. The mobile numbers of people can be used for contact tracing and movement monitoring during Covid-19.  There can be planning by the origin state for accommodation and other needs to be taken care of as a preventive measure.

5) MHA orders dated 29th March,2020, 15the April , 2020 and 16th April 2020: SOPs for

movement of Stranded Labour within the State/UT: Due to the spread of COVID-19, the workers employed in industry, agriculture, construction and other sectors had moved from their respective place of work and were housed in relief/shelter camps being run by

State/UT Government, MHA provided SOPs ensuring their engagement in in industry, manufacturing, construction, farming and MNREGS work. The key issues under the SPOs are:  The migrants labourers currently residing in relief/shelter camps in State/UT should be registered with the concern local Authority and their skill mapping be carried out to find out their suitability for various kind of work.  It may be noted that there shall be no movement of labour outside the state/UT from where they are located.  Those who want to go back to their place of work they would be screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their respective place of work.  During the journey by Bus, it would be ensured that safe social distancing norms are followed and the buses used for transport are sanitize as per the guidelines of the Health Authorities.  The National Directives for COVID-19 management issued under the consolidated revised guidelines shall be strictly followed  The local Authorities shall also provide for food and water etc.., for the duration of their journey.

6) MHA order Dt. 19.05.2020 reg. revised SoPs on movement of Stranded workers by Train:

The Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) dated on 1st may 2020 mentioned that,  Shramik Special trains facilitated by Ministry of Railways, monitored by Ministry of Home Affairs.  All states and UT would have to make arrangements for sending and receiving migrants.

 Train schedule of destinations and stops finalised by the ministry of railways in consultation with respected local government.  There would be restrictions and protocols with regard to movement within train by passengers.  All passengers are screened and checked before boarding  On arriving destination, state should ensure passengers are taking up all the prescribed health precautions.

7) Advisory to address the needs of “Internal Woman migrants in India” during COVID 19:

The advisory is issued on following needs – Food – Ensuring nutritious and safely prepared food, drinking water, provisions such as cooking oil, cooking fuel and essential food items to migrant women and girls irrespective of their entitlement or registration status.  Shelter/Accommodation – Ensuring decent accommodation for migrant girls and women at placed provided by government. Ensure distribution of sanitary napkins and special provision for lactating women in temporary shelters.

 Safety (Protection from gender based violence) – Ensure mechanisms to respond to incidences of gender based violences. Helplines to be set up to help women in distress.  Health care – Ensure womens’ access to health care – mental, physical, maternal care and child health. Mobile COVID screening units may be deployed in major residential areas of migrants. Contraceptives & sanitary napkins to be considered as essential services and provided as part of ration shops.  Mental health – Address specific trauma using help lines and physical help desks.

Ensure women has access of communication to her family.  Hygiene – Ensure sanitation facility which is safe, accessible with privacy norms and access to menstrual hygiene along with running water. Provide sanitary napkins, toiletries and handmade masks to women.  Quarantine measures – gender responsive and child sensitive protocol to be developed, adopted and implemented while quarantine process.

8) Advisory regarding care and protection of children moving with migrant families;

children living on streets/Child Care Institutions in light of COVID-19: The key guidelines are as under The child welfare Police officer (CWPO) shall regularly monitor if any such children are there in the area within the police station’s jurisdiction and if children are found, the CWPO shall intimate the same to CWC. The entire process and status of children is to be monitored by Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) and District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) in the District.

 If the child is found to be alone, the child shall be temporarily placed in CCI or a Fit

Facility with approval of CWC. If child is found with family, necessary arrangement for shelter is to be provided by competent authority of the state.  The CWPO shall make arrangements for conducting medical check-up of each child, in which NGOs may be involved.  The District Authority should ensure that the CHILDLINE is active 24*7 for providing assistance to the administration in ensuring safety of children

For Safety of children in CCIs

 The DCPO should ensure that the staff is sensitized and updated on the measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19.  The CCIs maybe equipped with sufficient academic and recreationmaterial for the children  If the release of funds to the CCIs is pending, it should be expedited and funds be provided at the earliest.

For children who were staying in Hostels, Madrasas or other Government/Private residential institutions

 Asking children to vacate such accommodations in the awake of Covid 19 is strictly prohibited. It is the responsibility of hostel/ Madrasa / Government/private residential institutions to take care of the children staying there.  there should not shortage of basic facilities such as food, water, medical aid, sanitation for these children.  If the release of funds to these institutions is pending, it should be expedited and funds be provided at the earliest.  Support from CHILDLINE may be sought to conduct visit to these institutions and report any kind of shortage or safety issue

9) DO Lr. Dt. 12.4.2020 to Chief Secretaries and Administrators reg. welfare activities

towards migrants: The key guidelines for this advisory are as under,  It is to be ensured that trained counsellors and/or community group leaders belonging to all faiths should visit relief camps/ shelter homes to deal with any consternation faced by migrants.  Police and other authorities should deal with migrants in a humane manner and should understand the anxiety and fear that the migrants face.  State govts. / UTs should try to engage volunteers along with the police to supervise the welfare activities of the migrants.

10) MHA DO Lr. Dt. 15.5.20 to States and UTs requesting to ensure no movement of migrants on roads and railway tracks:

 If migrant workers are found walking on the roads and railway tracks, they should be appropriately counselled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food, water etc. till they are facilitated to board the Shramik special trains or buses to their native places  It is the responsibility of all states and UTs to ensure the movement of stranded migrant workers who are willing to go to their home states, is facilitated.  With the cooperation of States/UT, ministry of Railways is running 100 Shramik special trains per day.

11) MHA’s advisory to all States/UTs to make adequate arrangements for migrant workers,

students etc from outside the States to facilitate Social Distancing for COVID-19: The advisory suggests that in order to mitigate the situation for unorganized sector workers,

States/UTs need to explore measures by involving various agencies, including NGOs, to provide food and shelter with basic amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation etc.

States/UTs have also been advised to make these vulnerable groups aware of the measures taken by the Government including provision of free food grains & other essential items through PDS, and streamline the distribution system.

12) MHA authorises States to use State Disaster Response Fund for relief measures for migrant workers during COVID-19 lockdown: According to this advisory, States/ UTs need to ensure that hotels, rented accommodations, hostels etc., continue to remain functional and delivery of essential items is streamlined, so that students, working women hostel inmates etc. are allowed to continue in existing facilities, while observing precautions.

State Governments were advised to set up Relief Camps along Highways, to provide food and shelter to migrant workers returning to their domicile States.

13) Letter from Ministry of Human Resource Development Department of School Education and Literacy Shastri Bhavan: D.O. letter dated 20th March 2020 regarding the provision of mid day meal or Food security allowance to the eligible children under Mid Day Meal

Scheme during closure of schools on account on COVID-19. State Governments and UTs

Administrations were advised to take necessary action to provide hot cooked meals or food security Allowance comprising of Food grains and cooking cost to the eligible children during the summer vacations of 2020-21. In case of supply of pulses, oil etc, the entire per meal child cooking cost shall used for providing pulses, oil etc. For summer vacation,

States and UTs shall ensure implementations of the provisions by providing food-security allowance to each child calculating the cost for all schedule school days e.g. days on which schools were supposed to function, but closed due to COVID-19.

14) Guidelines on provision of reproductive, maternal, new born, child, and adolescent nutrition services during and post-COVID-19: Considering that pandemic situation adversely affect pregnant women and new born children, MoHFW released the guidelines

on “Enabling Delivery of Essential Health Services during the COVID 19 Outbreak” dated 14th April 20201for provision of essential services. It was important to ensure the availability of services during this crisis period as any denial of services can have an impact on maternal and newborn mortalities, morbidities as well as the health care costs. The guidelines outlined the following services as essential: - Services related to pregnancy care and management - New-born care and childhood illness management - Immunization Services - Management of SAM children - Family Planning Services - Comprehensive Abortion Care Services - Adolescent Health services