Child Trafficking in India: Systemic Failures and the 'PICKET' Strategy for Prevention
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Social Issues (Child Labour, Human Trafficking), Governance (Laws like POCSO, Juvenile Justice Act; Institutions like Anti-Human Trafficking Units - AHTUs), Current Events.
Mains:
GS Paper 1: Social empowerment; Poverty and developmental issues; Role of women and women’s organizations.
GS Paper 2: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population (children, women) and the performance of these schemes; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Key Highlights from the News
Bihar is becoming a major hub for trafficking girls and exploiting them sexually, often under the guise of "orchestra troupes."
Poverty, geographical proximity (border with Nepal), and railway connectivity to other states make Bihar a trafficking hub.
Girls are primarily trafficked from states like Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam.
Despite comprehensive laws in India to prevent human trafficking, such as the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act, conviction rates remain very low.
Key failures include: lack of resources for Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs), poor inter-state coordination, and faulty rehabilitation of rescued children.
To address this crisis, the article proposes a six-pronged strategy called PICKET: Policy, Institutions, Convergence, Knowledge, Economics, Technology.
The article argues for a comprehensive approach that focuses equally on prevention, prosecution, and rehabilitation.
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