Assistance for Vulnerable Groups
Source : PIB
GS I : Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism
GS II : Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections

Why in News ?

Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) Issues Advisory to States/Union Territories to Review Existing Facilities for Vulnerable Groups Taking into Account Second Wave of Covid-19.

• MHA advisory comes against the backdrop of reports of several children losing both the parents or the earning parent, senior citizens, and under-privileged people finding it difficult to access vaccination and other health facilities.
• Assistance for Vulnerable Groups will support the difficulties during the COVID period.

Key Facts

• High priority on preventing and combating crimes against vulnerable sections of society.
  1. This including women, children, senior citizens and Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes.
  2. Also putting in place institutional mechanisms for preventing and countering human trafficking.
  3. Specially children who may have been orphaned due to loss of parents due to COVID-19.
  4. Also referred to the recent SOPs issued for safety of Transgenders during COVID-19.
• Efforts for undertake an immediate review of existing facilities for vulnerable groups especially for
  • Children who have been orphaned
  • Senior citizens who may require timely assistance and support including medical as well as safety and security.
  • Members of the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes who may need guidance to access Government support facilities.
• Sensitisation of police personnel coordination with various line Departments/ Agencies concerned to effectively deploy the Women Help Desk in Police Stations and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in Districts.
• NCRB has released several tools to States/Union Territories to facilitate in this activity that includes
  • Crime Multi Centre Agency (Cri-MAC) for police to share inter-state information
  • Online National Alert Service for police on missing and found persons using the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS)
  • Automated photo matching web-based application UNIFY that uses the Machine Learning model to enable police personnel to search photographs of missing persons, unidentified dead bodies etc. against the national image repository in the CCTNS.
• Transgenders during COVID-19
  • Financial assistance for the transgender person announced.
  • Rs. 1500 each for each transgender person through DBT mode
  • They can submit their details to Nationsl Institute of Social Defence to avail the assistance.

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