Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In the previous year, over 68,000 calls were made from Odisha to the Childline India hotline (1098), both directly and indirectly, requesting assistance for children.In a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Smriti Irani stated that at least 50,69,126 calls were made to the Childline India Helpline in 2022-23. Odisha received 68,983 SOS calls concerning child neglect and abuse.
According to Dr. Anjaiah Pandiri, executive director of Childline India, the 68,000-odd calls were not just about child abuse but also about child trafficking, marriage, sexual assault, child labor, and other issues.
Other significant states, including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, have reported an increase in similar calls over the same time period. Gujarat, for example, received 91,926 calls from distressed youngsters, while Tamil Nadu reported 4,05,880. Similarly, Karnataka received 3,76,775 calls, while Andhra Pradesh received 2,04,859 calls.
Meanwhile, according to government sources, the Childline helpline in Odisha would be merged with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Emergency Response Support System-112 (ERSS-112) helpline by August 31. According to activists, despite the state’s attempts to arrest child rights violators and provide children with a safe and secure environment, incidences of child rights violations continue to be recorded from throughout the districts.
