You are stationed as a police officer; you notice a 10 year old child begging at a busy intersection. As per India's Juvenile Justice Laws, you should:

The correct answer is ​take him to a government juvenile shelter home.

Key Points

• Taking the child to a government juvenile shelter home is the action most aligned with the principles of the Juvenile Justice Act, focusing on protection, safety, and the child's best interests.
• Child's Best Interest: The Juvenile Justice Act emphasizes the child's best interest. 
• Child in Need of Care and Protection: A child found begging is considered a "child in need of care and protection" under the Act. These children are to be brought before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), but the immediate concern is to ensure their safety, for which government shelter homes are designed.

Additional Information

• Parental Custody May Not Always Be Safe: informing his parents to take custody, assumes that the parents are available, willing, and able to provide a safe environment for the child.
  • This might not always be the case, and the safety of the child must be verified by the CWC before any such action.
• Counselling and Warnings Not Sufficient Initially:  providing counselling and issuing warnings, is a supportive measure but not an initial response.
  • The child's immediate need is safety and care, which is best ensured by taking them to a shelter home where counselling and further interventions can be provided as part of a comprehensive care plan.