The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India has issued an advisory to the Centre, State governments, and Union Territory (UT) administrations to address the issue of begging and improve the lives of those involved.
| Feature | Pros | Cons |
| Right to Life | criminalizing begging will encourage people to choose better ways to earn and live their life | Everyone has the right to survive, and criminalizing begging could force people to choose between begging and starving. |
| Root Cause | Could help reduce forced begging | Doesn’t address poverty, lack of education, or mental health issues |
| Punishment | Making begging illegal could encourage people to find better ways to earn money. | Arresting and jailing people for begging is harsh, especially since they’re already struggling. It will increase mental health issues |
| Resource Allocation | Begging can discourage people from seeking help. This would also lead to rise in difficulty in finding the right people to get the help they need | Money spent arresting and detaining beggars could be better spent helping them (food, shelter, education). |
| Public Nuisance | Reduces public nuisance | Criminalizing begging can overwhelm the legal and judicial systems with minor offenses, diverting resources away from more serious crimes and public safety issues. |
| Exploitation | Some beggars are forced to beg by traffickers or criminals. Criminalizing it could help stop this. | Criminalizing begging ignores underlying social and economic issues, violating basic human rights and dignity by treating poverty as a crime instead of addressing its root causes. |
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has advised the government to take a comprehensive approach to eliminate begging and improve the lives of those involved.
| Area of Action | Description |
| Identifying and Supporting Individuals Engaged in Begging | Conduct a survey to create a national database of people who beg. Include details about their physical, mental, and social background. Regularly update this information. |
| Rehabilitation | Provide shelter homes with essential services like food, clothing, and healthcare. Help people get identity cards, ration cards, and bank accounts. Offer mental health counseling and addiction treatment services as needed. |
| Legal and Policy Framework | Draft a National Policy to protect those who beg. This policy should include financial assistance, job training, and ways to help people reintegrate into society. Strengthen laws against human trafficking to prevent forced begging. |
| Collaboration | Work with NGOs, civil society organizations, and the private sector to support rehabilitation efforts. Encourage NGOs to help people form self-help groups to start their own businesses. |
| Access to Financial Services | Provide financial assistance to help people support themselves after rehabilitation. Encourage banks to offer loans to people who have completed training programs. |
| Awareness Generation | Educate the public about the welfare programs available to those who beg. Discourage giving money directly to beggars and instead, direct them to support services. Launch campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of forced begging. |
| Education | Enroll children involved in begging in government or private schools. Ensure they receive free and compulsory education as mandated by law. |
| Skill Development | Provide skill training to people in shelter homes based on their abilities and interests. Partner with government-approved training centers to offer these programs. |
The key recommendations are as follows
Constitution and BeggingThe Indian constitution does not mention begging explicitly. There are various provisions mentioned in the constitution that prohibits begging
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July 11, 2024