Context: The Supreme Court was informed that nearly 36,000 children remain untraced across India since 2020, despite police recovering the majority of 3 lakh missing children.
About Missing Children in India:
- Total Missing (2020-24): Nearly 3 lakh children went missing.
- Untraced Children: 36,000 children remain missing, highlighting gaps in law enforcement.
- State-wise Data:
- Madhya Pradesh: 58,665 missing, 45,585 recovered, 3,955 still missing.
- Bihar and Odisha are next highest in order.
- Non-reporting States: Delhi, Punjab, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, J&K, Andhra Pradesh failed to provide data.
- Government & Legal Measures
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- Khoya-Paya Portal: Centralized online tracking system for missing children.
- Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs):
- ₹100 crore allocated for strengthening AHTUs in every district.
- Untraced cases (4+ months) must be transferred to AHTUs.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- GS Paper 2 – Governance & Social Justice
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- Child Protection Laws: Juvenile Justice Act, POCSO Act, National Child Policy.
- Law Enforcement Challenges: Need for CBI/NIA involvement in organized trafficking cases.
- GS Paper 3 – Internal Security
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- Human Trafficking: Missing children’s cases often linked to forced labor, organ trade, and sexual exploitation.
- Cyber-enabled Trafficking: Growing use of dark web and social media for trafficking networks.
- Ethics (GS Paper 4)
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- State’s Moral Responsibility: Ensuring child safety and justice.
- Humanitarian Concerns: Protecting vulnerable children from exploitation and abuse.
