74. Religious persuasion of persons to whom child is committed.
(1)In determining the schools to which a child or youthful offender is to be sent under this Act, the court shall ascertain the religious denomination of the child or youthful offender and shall, if possible, select a school in which facilities are afforded for instruction in his religion.(2)In determining the person to whose care a child shall be committed under this Act, the court shall ascertain the religious denomination of a person who gives such undertaking as seems to the court sufficient that the child will be brought up in accordance with the religion of the child and such religion shall be specified in the order.(3)In any case where a child has been committed pursuant to any such order to the care of a person who is not the religious denomination of the child or who has not given such undertaking as aforesaid, the court which made the order or any court of like jurisdiction shall, on the application of any person in that behalf and on its appearing that a fit person of the religious denomination of the child or who will give such undertaking as aforesaid is willing to undertake the care of the child, make an order committing him to the care of such fit person.(4)When a child is committed to the care of an approved school in which facilities for instruction in his religion are not afforded or to a person who does not give an undertaking that the child entrusted to him will be brought up in his religion the court shall take an under taking from such school or such person that the child shall not be brought up in any religion other than his own.(5)Where a child is boarded out, or where a child or youthful offender is permitted by licence to live with any other person, the manager of the school shall select for this purpose a person of the same religion as the child or youthful offender, as the case may be, if such person is available, and if no such person is available a person who gives a satisfactory undertaking that the child or youthful offender shall be brought up in accordance with the religion of such child or youthful offender, and if no such person is available then another person within the provisions of section 39 or 40 as the ease may be.(6)When a child has been committed to the care of a person who gives an undertaking as aforesaid but the undertaking is not observed the child shall be liable to be removed from the care of such person and dealt with according to the provisions of sub-section (3) of this section.(7)Whenever any person interested in the religion of the child is informed of any attempt at conversion or tampering with his religion he may apply to the court for an enquiry and the court on being satisfied may issue an order removing the said child from the custody of such institution or person and handover the custody to another fit person or institution.
