Dehradun: Inspired by the vision of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Dehradun district administration has launched a transformative initiative titled ‘From Begging to Education’. Under this program, children rescued from begging are being rehabilitated and introduced to education through activities like music, yoga, and sports at a modern Intensive Care Centre being established in the city.
So far, the district administration has rescued 82 children in two phases and successfully enrolled them in schools. In the first phase, 51 children were admitted to various schools, while 31 children in the second phase were enrolled at Government Primary School, Parade Ground, and Sadhu Ram Inter College. To support this rehabilitation drive, a modern Intensive Care Centre worth ₹1.5 crore is being built at Sadhu Ram Inter College, Dehradun.
District Magistrate Savin Bansal chaired a meeting of the District Child Welfare and Protection Committee, where he directed officials to ensure Aadhaar updates, health check-ups, and random police verification of staff working in child care homes. He also instructed that special health camps be organized within ten days in all government and non-government child institutions.
An inter-departmental rescue team with three patrol vehicles has been deployed to identify and rescue children involved in begging across the city. Departments like Police, Education, Labour, Child Helpline 1098, and several NGOs are part of this initiative.
In the past three months (July–September 2025), 136 children were presented before the Child Welfare Committee for care and protection, and 138 children were rehabilitated. Among them, 70 were involved in begging, 14 in child labour, and 6 were sent back to their home states after being reunited with their families.
DM Bansal also directed officials to activate ward-level and village-level child protection committees under the Mission Vatsalya guidelines. He emphasized that 5% of untied funds should be used for children’s welfare and protection.
The administration’s efforts reflect a strong message — street children deserve education, dignity, and a chance to build a better future.
