Newsline recounts what followed:

The official approaches the children. Asks them not to run away.

Starts to ask them whether they want to study.

The children say they are satisfied with what they are doing (begging) and don’t want to study.

Later talking to Newsline, an official said, “We know this would not work out this way as these children are not even ready to listen and many have vanished as they might have come to know about the plans”.

Director Public Instructions (Schools), S K Setia, said, “The campaign has just begun and will definitely include people who will motivate these children to study”.

At present, the department has two inspectors and eight officials under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan who are assigned with motivating beggar children into taking up education. The department has no plans of motivating the parents of these beggar children.

Meanwhile, experts believe that though the department’s initiative is good, it falls short on the motivation front. They believe that a behavioural change has to be brought about in these children because since childhood, begging is all that they have learnt.