Women and Child Development Ministry informed Lok Sabha that the calls received by child helpline in the last four years increased more than three-fold. CHILDLINE (1098) had answered 38,22,081 calls in the year 2013-14 which increased to 1,15,59,750 calls in the year 2017-18, it said. Out of these, direct intervention was provided in 2,18,266 cases.

The government has cancelled passports of 33 NRIs for abandoning their wives, the Women and Child Development Ministry said. The INA made to look into the matter has been issuing Look-Out Circulars to absconding husbands in cases of NRI marriages and till now, 8 LoCs have been issued and 33 passports have been impounded by the External Affairs Ministry, a senior official said.