Rescued from begging, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation opens doors of its schools to kids for a “better life, brighter…

5 min readAhmedabadJun 25, 2026 05:12 AM IST

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi with some of the rescued children at the Thaltej Anupam Smart Primary School in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. (PTI)

Wearing new uniforms —red T-shirt and navy blue shorts — and school bags on their backs with their hair neatly oiled and combed, 20 children stood among others at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run Anupam Primary School in Thaltej on Wednesday.

They were begging for a living till Tuesday when the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Ahmedabad city police rescued them and enrolled them into schools on the second day of the annual Shala Praveshotsav, a flagship school enrolment drive launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

Among them was a 14-year-old boy whose father is a daily wage worker. The boy, who lives in the Naranpura area, said he was rescued by the police. “But I am not a beggar,” he says. An 11-year-old girl, who was among those enrolled after reportedly being rescued from the Chanakyapuri area, refuses to speak. Her parents said that though their daughter has been rescued by police they do not let her beg.

Officials of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Ahmedabad police said the children were being cautious fearing “legal consequences”.

On the second day of the annual Shala Praveshotsav, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi “enrolled” around 300 students in various schools of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). These students include around 20 children who were rescued from begging in different parts of the city by authorities on Tuesday during a joint drive.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanghavi said that the programme could provide inspiration to other states and cities.

“Today, I congratulate the Ahmedabad police and I thank them on behalf of these children. I can see a spirit of doing something good in the eyes of these children. Since 2022, Ahmedabad police and the AMC have jointly freed 276 children from begging and providing them with education in Signal Schools. For that, although there is no such protocol, I salute Gujarat police and Ahmedabad police on behalf of all the members of the society,” the Home Minister said.

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He also congratulated Ahmedabad police for rescuing and reuniting around 33 children from different states, who were forced into begging in Gujarat as part of a racket, with their families.

The Deputy CM requested teachers to perform their duty earnestly in providing warmth and affection to such children since many of them have perhaps never received their parents’ care.

“For these children, school is a new world. Give them the same treatment which you give to your sons and daughters at home. Give them warmth and affection. They are very new. All of you will have to make some sacrifice and extra effort to help them get set in the new atmosphere…Don’t treat it as official work. Also never consider it as a responsibility given by the government,” he added.

According to a state government release, a total of 303 students were given admission in the schools at the function chaired by Sanghavi on Wednesday. These include 20 who were rescued from begging, 233 children of Signal Schools and 50 new admissions. Signal Schools are the schools under a scheme of the AMC for out-of-school children rescued from city streets.

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Director General of Police G S Malik and AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, among others, attended the event, held at Thaltej Anupam Primary School of the AMC.

Pani said the children who were into begging have been enrolled into school with the joint efforts of Ahmedabad city police, AMC and Social Justice and Empowerment Department of Gujarat government.

During the function, officers of AHTU who performed well were felicitated by the Deputy CM.

In-Charge head of AHTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police Himala Joshi, who was among the officers felicitated at the event, told The Indian Express that their squads regularly carry out drives to rescue children begging on the streets of the city as per their SOP.

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“For three days – June 22, 23, 24 – we had carried out intensive drives in coordination with the AMC, Social Justice and Empowerment Department and Health Department to send out a message among those who get involved in such activity (of begging). Recently, Ahmedabad city has been ranked among the safest cities of India. And the effort is to make the city safe and inclusive for all including children…It is also to ensure that no criminal activity is done under the guise of begging in the city,” said Joshi.

She said that after rescuing adult beggars, the authorities after their production before court, counsel and help them learn some skills to earn a dignified income. Joshi said that they target to make Ahmedabad beggar-free by 2030 when the city is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time.

Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.

Expertise & Authority

Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:

Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.

Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.

Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:

State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.

Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More

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