About the new circular:

• The Ministry of Women & Child Development (WCD) has decided to integrate the Child Helpline (1098) with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) with telephonic short code 112 and 112 India App and their linkage with District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

Issues with the initiative:

• Childline 1098 is a very effective and successful project, meant exclusively for children, unlike 112, which deals with emergencies related to police matters, health and women’s safety. 
  • Police becoming first responders to calls from children, there might be a drop in the reporting of offences.
• Childline units typically have a phone operator, who are sometimes children rescued from the streets, a social worker, or a counsellor. 
• It will provide a range of services to children and, therefore, the transfer from MWCD to MHA is very odd.