Chennai Dy Mayor moots DNA tests to curb child exploitation by begging mafia

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation should adopt measures to test and compare the DNA samples of women and the children, many of them infants, that they carry, to tackle the exploitation of children, suggested Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar on Tuesday.

Speaking at the council meeting, he said Punjab had introduced a system where DNA tests are carried out on women begging with children to verify if they are the legal parents or guardians. In cases where no biological link is established, the police will register cases against the adults and place the children in protection homes.

"Even in Chennai, we see young women begging with infants, often carrying sleeping children wrapped in cloth. I request the Corporation's health department to take up a similar initiative here," he said, stressing the need to protect children from being exploited for begging.

Punjab was the first State to formally use DNA testing to tackle child exploitation in begging through its "Project Jeevanjyot 2.0". In cases where no links are established, police register cases against the adults and the children are immediately placed in shelter homes under the Child Welfare Committee. Since its launch in mid-2024, the drive has rescued over 700 children, with several cases subjected to DNA verification before deciding guardianship.

While Chennai does not yet have such a mechanism, the Corporation has in the past carried out interventions. In 2023, a city-wide survey of persons engaged in begging was undertaken in collaboration with NGOs and the Union Ministry of Social Justice to understand the scale of the issue.

The civic body has also formed child protection committees across all 15 zones earlier this year to monitor child welfare. However, the issue has been persistent. The Deputy Mayor said the focus should also be on rehabilitating adults involved in begging, but stressed that measures like DNA verification could help prevent exploitation.