Total Number of Orphans in India
Districts Without a Single Orphanage
Children on Street in India are Orphans
of Indian Children Receive Welfare, Orphans Left Out
In a world where too many orphans are forgotten, we choose to remember. In an India where orphans are recognized as equal citizens, empowered to live with dignity and purpose, we strive to amplify their voices for a future where every child can thrive. Weakest on Earth: Orphans of India begins with a child’s encounter with an infant after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, revealing systemic failings in care. Visits to cramped orphanages uncover random naming, no legal identity, abrupt aging out at eighteen, and the fight for education and security. This urgent plea calls on families, communities, and policymakers to guarantee every vulnerable child legal identity, life skills, education, and chance to shape their future—because they deserve more than forgotten lives.
Discover the untold story of India’s most vulnerable children—orphans who are often forgotten and left behind. In Weakest on Earth: Orphans of India, compelling accounts gathered through interviews, field visits, and policy analysis expose the invisible barriers these youths face—from lack of legal identity and social stigma to scarce educational and economic opportunities.
Poulomi Pavini Shukla, author of Weakest on Earth: Orphans of India, has been fighting for the rights and reservation of orphaned children. She was filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India in 2018, seeking judicial intervention in ensuring right to life, right to equality specifically for children who are orphans and all “children in need of care and protection.”
The PIL seeks reservation for orphan children- who are as deserving as any OBC or the third gender to whom the Supreme Court has recently extended its support.
“The same or more financial, educational and empowerment support be given to orphan children as what is given by the government to various categories of children who have parents,” says the petition.
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This is to appreciate Ms. Poulomi Pavini Shukla for her in-depth analysis and advocacy on behalf of orphans, through her book "Weakest on Earth," presentations, and a Writ Petition in the Supreme Court. Her efforts have prompted significant governmental attention, leading to the Government of Chhattisgarh's comprehensive review and commitment to improving the lives of orphans with enhanced support and opportunities. Best wishes to Ms. Shukla in her future endeavors.
A nation's development can be judged by how it treats the poor and helpless. India is yet to have an effective care of orphans and disadvantaged children who are the poorest, most helpless and really deserving of suppori weakest on earth is path-breaking book which draws attention to this neglected category. It sets new standard of analysis of public policy from humanitarian point of view. An inclusive insight with a superlative presentation makes this an exceptional work.
This book is a deep study and analytical research on the conditions of orphans, particularly juvenile orphans I india. The effort is commendable.
An outstanding, comprehensive presentation of issues about a section of society whose voice has not been heard so far. A compelling read.
Poulomi Pavini Shukla is a self-motivated young person who has dedicated herself to a highly compassionate pursuit of helping orphan children in India. She belongs to Lucknow and I have known and seen her work since I was the Minister for Women and Child Development in the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Poulomi's argument is that abandoned chi dren without parents are the weakest members of society and deserve the maximum possible support from society and Government.
Ms. Poulomi Pavini Shukla’s visionary scholarship in Weakest on Earth illuminates the silent plight of orphaned children, compelling both policymakers and civil society to confront this urgent humanitarian concern. Her lucid policy analysis, woven with poignant case studies, sets a new benchmark for research in child welfare. Through persistent advocacy—culminating in her Supreme Court petition—she has catalyzed state governments to allocate dedicated funds and expand educational quotas for orphans. Hailing from Lucknow, her unwavering commitment exemplifies true public service, and we anticipate her continued leadership will usher in transformative reforms for India’s most vulnerable youth.
