Abstract
This paper brings to fore the need to compile an accurate and comprehensive database for children living in institutional care. It addresses key issues like defining institutional care, identifying the various reasons behind children coming to live in institutional care and providing estimates pertaining to the number of children living in institutional care. It further explains why it is necessary to have a definite count of the number of children living in institutional care. The main reason being that unless these children are identified, no definite plan for provision of educational facilities for them will prove fruitful and consequently, the objective of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 will not be achieved.
