Why in News: The Just Rights for Children (JRC) network filed a petition in the Patna High Court demanding urgent action against trafficking of minor girls into orchestra groups. The court recognised it as a “serious issue” and directed the Bihar government to act without delay.
Human Trafficking: Definition
Human trafficking refers to the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of individuals by means such as:
- Force
- Threats
- Coercion
- Deception
The primary goal behind these actions is exploitation of the victim.
Forms of Exploitation
Human trafficking involves a wide range of exploitative practices, including:
- Sexual exploitation and prostitution
- Forced labor
- Slavery or practices similar to slavery
- Involuntary servitude
- Organ trafficking
Statistics about Child Trafficking in India
C-Lab Report: The Power of Prosecution
Findings:
- Covered 24 States
- With law enforcement, 53,651 children were rescued in 27,320 raids
- Legal action was taken in every case
- Nearly 90% were engaged in hazardous forms of child labour
NCRB data (2022): 2,878 children trafficked, including 1,059 girls
Bihar Case
- Until June this year( 2025) 271 girls rescued by Bihar Police
- Between March and June, JRC and police rescued 116 girls from orchestra groups
According to ILO and UNICEF (2024):
- 138 million children involved in child labour
- Around 54 million in hazardous work
Major Reasons for Child Trafficking in India
1. Demand for Cheap Labor & Sexual Exploitation
- High demand for children in agriculture, construction, domestic work, and commercial sex trade fuels trafficking.
2. Social Inequality & Discrimination
- Marginalized communities, especially those facing caste or gender-based discrimination, are more vulnerable.
3. Poverty & Lack of Livelihood
- Economic desperation drives families to unknowingly hand over their children to traffickers promising a better future.
4. Illiteracy & Lack of Awareness
- Low education levels and ignorance about trafficking risks make individuals easy targets.
5. Cultural & Traditional Practices
- In some regions, children—especially girls—are trafficked under the guise of customs like Jogin and Devadasi, where they are dedicated to deities and exploited.
6. Criminal Profiteering
- Child trafficking is the third most lucrative criminal industry globally (after drugs and arms), due to high profits and low risk for traffickers.
Why Bihar? — A Hotspot for Trafficking: Bihar’s rise as a major trafficking destination is driven by
- Absence of regulatory oversight
- Social acceptance of commodifying girls
Geographical vulnerability:
- Porous Nepal border
- Strong railway connectivity with trafficking-prone states: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh
In states like West Bengal:
- Cultural aspirations like music and dance are exploited by traffickers. They lure girls with false promises of money, marriage, and fame.
Inside the ‘Orchestra Belt’: In districts like Saran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Rohtas, and West Champaran
- Girls as young as 12 are sold to orchestras for as little as ₹10,000
- They are presented on stage as performers, but in truth, they were victims of trafficking and sexual abuse.
Key Laws Against Child Trafficking in India
1. POCSO Act, 2012
- Protects children (<18 years) from sexual abuse, harassment, and pornography.
- Defines offenses like penetrative sexual assault and sexual harassment.
- Provides child-friendly procedures for reporting and trials.
- Special Courts and Public Prosecutors ensure speedy justice.
2. Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976
- Prohibits bonded labor, a common trafficking form.
- Declares bonded labor agreements illegal and penalizes offenders.
3. Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA)
- Criminalizes trafficking for prostitution.
- Focuses on rescue, rehabilitation, and repatriation of victims.
4. Juvenile Justice Act, 2015
- Protects and rehabilitates children in need and conflict with law.
- Includes measures to prevent trafficking and aid rescued children.
5. Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act
6. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions
How the System Fails
- Most cases are filed as missing persons or kidnappings
- Conviction rates remain abysmal
- Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) are under-resourced
- Interstate investigations fail due to jurisdictional confusion and bureaucracy
- After rescue, girls are sent back to the same families that sold them
Steps That Must Be Taken
1. Prevention Where Trafficking Begins
- Schools must monitor attendance
- If a child is missing for weeks, it should trigger alerts
- Panchayats must maintain migration registers
- Villages must be made accountable — someone always knows
2. Parental Awareness
- Parents must be informed about the real dangers behind false promises
3. Transport Vigilance
- RPF is already monitoring rail corridors and conducting awareness drives
- This must extend to: Bus routes, local terminals, and private carriers
- Transport staff must be trained to spot trafficking
4. Strengthen AHTUs( Anti Human Trafficking Units)
- Must have full-time, trained officers
Officers should:
- Coordinate across states
- Track trafficking networks
- Follow each case from rescue to prosecution
- They must be held accountable
What Should Be Done About the Orchestras?
- Immediate and total ban on employment of minors
- Identify, map, and regulate these groups
- Seal premises where girls are confined
- Prosecute owners, landlords, organisers
- Attach their assets
Labour Department must be directed to:
- Inspect, report, and act
- Prosecution should be time-bound
- Rehabilitation must be state-supervised and long-term
- Children must not be sent back to abusive homes
- Victim compensation schemes must be strictly enforced
A Strategy for Prevention: PICKET
To end trafficking, we need a strategy rooted in PICKET:
P – Policy
- Enforce strong laws against child labour and trafficking
- Ensure strict penalties for violator
I – Institutions
- Strengthen institutions like Child Welfare Committees, AHTUs
C – Convergence
- Enhance coordination between police, NGOs, child protection units
- Use digital platforms for integrated action
K – Knowledge
- Incorporate survivor feedback into policies
- Promote local awareness and community vigilance
E – Economic Tools
- Target the money trail to make trafficking unprofitable
- Offer alternative livelihoods to at-risk communities
T – Technology
- Use data analytics, heat maps to identify trafficking hotspots
- Enable real-time inter-state information sharing.
Conclusion:
The only way to prevent the next girl from being trafficked is to dismantle the system that enables it. The longer we wait, the more we lose.
UPSC RELEVANCE
GS I – Indian Society:
- Vulnerable sections: issues related to women and children
GS II – Governance & Social Justice:
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections
Mains Practice Question
Q. “Despite multiple laws and schemes, girl child trafficking continues to plague Indian society.” Examine the causes and suggest a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the issue.