A comprehensive report titled ‘Child Trafficking in India: Insights from Situational Data Analysis and the Need for Tech-driven Intervention Strategies,’ jointly compiled by Games24x7 and the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF), has shed light on the devastating child trafficking crisis in the country. The report, released on the occasion of the ‘World Day Against Trafficking in Persons,’ presents shocking statistics on child trafficking incidents between 2016 and 2022. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the top three states with the highest number of children trafficked during the mentioned period.
Disturbingly, Delhi witnessed a staggering 68 per cent surge in child trafficking cases from pre to post-Covid times, signaling a worrisome trend. The report’s data, gathered by Games24x7’s data science team from KSCF and its partners’ interventions across 262 districts in 21 states, highlights the prevalence of child trafficking in various age groups. Of the 13,549 rescued children under the age of 18, 80 per cent fell within the 13 to 18 years age bracket, while 13 per cent were aged nine to 12 years, and over 2 per cent were even younger than nine years, underscoring the pervasive nature of the issue. Furthermore, the report delves into industries where child labor is rampant.
Hotels and dhabas were found to employ the highest number of child laborers (15.6 per cent), followed by the automobile or transport industry (13 per cent), and garments (11.18 per cent). Shockingly, children as young as five and eight years were discovered to be engaged in the cosmetic industry. While the report highlights a significant surge in child trafficking cases across several states, Uttar Pradesh stands out with an alarming increase in incidents. The number of reported incidents in the pre-Covid phase (2016-2019) was 267, but it sharply rose to 1214 in the post-Covid phase (2021-2022). Similarly, Karnataka witnessed an 18-fold increase, soaring from 6 to 110 reported incidents.
The report commends the positive impact of government and law enforcement agencies’ proactive stance over the past decade. Frequent interventions and awareness campaigns have led to increased reporting and curtailed the number of trafficked children. However, the report emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law to effectively combat this heinous crime. In light of these alarming findings, the report calls for immediate tech-driven intervention strategies and stronger legislation to protect vulnerable children and eradicate child trafficking from the country. The crisis demands urgent action, collaboration, and a collective determination to safeguard the future of innocent lives.