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Orphan Welfare in Vidarbha: Struggles, Shortfalls and Glimpses of Hope

Orphan Welfare in Vidarbha: Struggles, Shortfalls and Glimpses of Hope
Orphan Welfare in Vidarbha: Struggles, Shortfalls and Glimpses of Hope

Vidarbha has been hit hard by waves of loss. In recent years, thousands of farmers there took their own lives under crippling debt, one study counted over 8,000 suicides in 2018–22, 39% of them in this part of the state.


Each death often meant a child left without a father. In 2023 alone, official figures showed 2,851 such suicides statewide, a toll that translated into roughly 5,000 fatherless children. Many of these youngsters end up living in overcrowded children’s homes.


Thirteen-year-old Gopikar, for example, lived apart from his widowed mother in a Pune shelter: “My father hung himself… There were lots of people whose money had to be paid back,” he told a reporter. Activists warn that poverty forces such orphans into child labour and early marriage. One social worker noted, “They cannot afford to sit at home… Many have addictions… then they are married young – some girls are married off at 14-15”.


As activist Ashok Deshmane observed, “When a farmer ends his life, he thinks that the problems will be solved. But the problems only rise,” referring to the new burden on families.


Government support and schemes


The state government has rolled out schemes to help these children. In late 2021, Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Department began depositing ₹5 lakh for each COVID-orphan into fixed deposits.


In Nagpur (Vidarbha’s largest city), officials opened deposits for 52 identified children and noted that a central fund would add another ₹10 lakh per orphan.

Meanwhile, a long-standing state programme (often called the Savitribai Phule Child Care Scheme) provides a monthly stipend of ₹2,250 to eligible orphans. One beneficiary, named Aziz, said the aid “helped us get admission in a good private school,” but by mid-2025, he and thousands of others had not received payments for nearly nine months.

A report found that over 120,000 orphaned children across Maharashtra had missed months of stipend payments between late 2024 and mid-2025. An official said this was due to technical and budgetary issues.


In 2021, the state also launched Mission Vatsalya, forming local committees to help COVID widows and orphans access existing schemes like pensions, school support and ration cards. Critics, however, argue that the mission offered little new cash relief. A Vidhi Centre analysis noted that officials in many districts lacked staff or training to manage the paperwork – for example, the requirement of official Covid death certificates delayed aid for children whose parents had died untested.


Legislators have identified other obstacles. In late 2022, a Nagpur lawmaker pointed out that any orphan with a surviving blood relative is denied an official “orphan certificate,” blocking their access to benefits.


Beyond government programmes, local NGOs and charities have stepped in. In Nagpur city, the Indian Association for Promotion of Adoption operates through its Varadaan chapter to run childcare units and promote the adoption of destitute children. Many orphaned youth from Vidarbha find shelter farther afield.


Ashok Deshmane, an engineer-turned-activist from the region, now runs an ashram in Pune. His home currently shelters about 80 children orphaned by farm suicides, and he funds their education himself. Another example is the Adhatirth Ashram near Nashik, which houses over 300 orphans of farmer deaths.


According to a report, these children come from 32 districts across Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan.

The ashram’s founder proudly notes that many of its former residents have gone on to government jobs, and they often maintain ties by donating back their first salaries.


Such community efforts have had some success stories. And years of investment may pay off: as Deshmane says, when these youngsters are given a proper environment and education “they flourish” just like well-tended plants.


Gaps and remaining challenges


Despite these efforts, significant gaps persist in Vidarbha’s orphan welfare. Older orphans with no family oversight often feel abandoned.


A state legislator noted, “They lived in an orphanage because they don’t have parents. But after 18 years…they will suddenly find parents after stepping out?”.


In practice, children aged 18+ leave institutional care with no further support, since no agency “identified this section” to help them beyond adolescence.

Even for younger children, bureaucracy can be a barrier. The lack of an official guardian or relative should trigger aid, but rules complicate this: as one councillor explained, “If there is a blood relative then an orphan certificate is not given…so many orphan siblings [in homes] can’t get the certificate due to this rule”.


Many families and activists simply see too much red tape. Until these rules are changed or enforced, vulnerable youngsters will remain at risk.


In sum, Vidarbha’s orphan welfare system shows both hopeful strides and stark shortfalls. State officials have announced financial packages and hostels for orphans, and NGOs keep taking in children and educating them.


Yet thousands of affected youth still wait for consistent support, whether it is a lifelong mentor, a college seat or even a simple certificate of eligibility.


As one elder observer noted, properly supported children will “flourish” like any well-tended life. The real test will be whether policy and practice can come together to make that flourish possible for all of Vidarbha’s orphaned children.


References




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The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

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