Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the top three states in child trafficking, according to a comprehensive report titled ‘Child Trafficking in India: Insights from Situational Data Analysis and the Need for Tech-driven Intervention Strategies’. The report, compiled jointly by Games24x7 and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), reveals alarming statistics about child trafficking in India.
Between 2016 and 2022, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh witnessed the maximum number of children trafficked. Additionally, Delhi recorded a staggering 68% increase in child trafficking cases from the pre-Covid period to the post-Covid period.
The study sheds light on the gravity of the child trafficking crisis in the country. Jaipur City emerged as the hotspot for child trafficking, with four other districts in Delhi also featuring among the top five.
The report draws from the data collected by Games24x7’s data science team, which includes information from KSCF and its partners’ interventions in child trafficking cases across 262 districts in 21 states. A total of 13,549 children under the age of 18 were rescued during this period, providing valuable insights into the trends and patterns of child trafficking.
Among the rescued children, 80% were between the ages of 13 and 18, 13% were aged nine to 12, and over 2% were younger than nine years old. This suggests that child trafficking affects children of various age groups.
The report also highlights the industries where child labor is rampant. Hotels and dhabas employ the highest number of child laborers, followed by the automobile or transport sector and the garments industry. Shockingly, children as young as five and eight years old were found to be engaged in the cosmetic industry.
The increase in child trafficking cases across various states is a cause for concern. Uttar Pradesh, in particular, witnessed a significant surge in incidents, with the number of reported cases increasing from 267 in the pre-Covid phase (2016-2019) to 1,214 in the post-Covid phase (2021-2022). Karnataka also saw an alarming 18-fold increase.
However, the report highlights the positive impact of proactive measures taken by government and law enforcement agencies over the past decade. Frequent interventions and awareness campaigns have led to an increase in reporting and a reduction in the number of trafficked children.
Despite these efforts, the report emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law to effectively combat child trafficking and protect the rights of vulnerable children.
Read more: [link to the full article]
