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Introduction

Child trafficking in India is a grave human rights violation involving the recruitment and transportation of minors for exploitation, including forced labor and sexual slavery. Despite Articles 23 and 24 of the Constitution and the POCSO Act, thousands of children remain vulnerable to organized networks that exploit systemic socio-economic gaps.

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Root Causes of Child Trafficking

• Extreme Poverty & Debt: Desperate financial conditions and intergenerational debt bondage often force families to send children for work, where they fall into traffickers’ hands.
  Eg: According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), families in impoverished rural pockets are the primary targets for traffickers promising “better lives”.
• Lack of Quality Education: High dropout rates and the absence of accessible, protective school environments make children from marginalized communities easy prey for “placement agencies.”
• Porous International Borders: Strategic transit points along the India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders facilitate easy movement for cross-border trafficking syndicates.
  Eg: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) identified 75 high-risk bordering districts requiring specialized sensitization programs in 2022.
• Social Media Recruitment: Traffickers increasingly use digital platforms to lure tech-savvy youth through fraudulent job offers or romantic “catfishing.”
  Eg: Recent investigations show a rise in “cyber-trafficking” where social media is used to establish contact with minors in urban slums.
• Cultural & Caste Vulnerabilities: Practices like the Devadasi system and the systemic exclusion of Dalits/Adivasis make these groups disproportionately susceptible to exploitation.

Challenges in Effective Implementation

• Low Conviction Rates: Legal proceedings are often marred by witness intimidation and poor evidence collection, leading to a climate of impunity for traffickers.
  Eg: NCRB data (2018-2022) indicates a dismal conviction rate of only 4.8% in trafficking-related cases.
• Under-Resourced Anti-Trafficking Units: Many Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) lack dedicated personnel, specialized training, and modern technology to track inter-state networks.
• Misclassification of Offenses: Trafficking cases are frequently misregistered as simple “kidnapping” or “missing person” reports, diluting the severity of the investigation.
  Eg: The Supreme Court (2025) in K.P. Kiran Kumar v. State observed that misclassification hinders the application of stringent PMLA and BNS provisions.
• Jurisdictional Disputes: Since “Police” is a State subject, lack of real-time coordination between different state police forces allows traffickers to shift victims across borders easily.
• Fragmented Data Systems: The absence of a real-time, integrated national database for missing and rescued children leads to delays in identifying “repeat victims.”

Recommended Measures for Protection and Rehabilitation

• Strengthening AHTUs & SJPUs: Empower specialized units with AI-driven surveillance and cross-border authority to disrupt “transit hubs” like railway stations. Eg: Operation AAHT by the Railway Protection Force has rescued over 2,300 children since 2022 through transit-point intervention.
• Victim-Centric Legal Framework: Implement the “injured witness” status for trafficked children as directed by the SC to ensure their testimony is recorded sensitively.
• Comprehensive Rehabilitation Fund: Establish a dedicated, non-lapsable fund to provide immediate medical, psychological, and vocational support regardless of the trial outcome.
  Eg: The “Ujjawala” scheme has set up 162 rehabilitative homes, but coverage needs expansion to every district.
• Universal Birth Registration: Ensure 100% digital birth registration to provide every child a legal identity, making them less “invisible” to state protection systems.
• Community Vigilance Committees: Activate Gram Panchayat-level committees to monitor school attendance and report prolonged absences of children from vulnerable families.

Conclusion

Child trafficking is not just a law enforcement issue but a social emergency. While the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 provides a robust legal definition, success depends on shifting from a “raid-rescue” model to a “prevent-protect” paradigm. By addressing the “invisibility of exploitation” through community vigilance and ensuring swift, certain justice, India can restore the promise of a safe childhood to its most vulnerable citizens.

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