Lok Sabha Question No. 3350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Kidnapping of Children
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3350

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16 TH   MARCH, 2021/ PHALGUNA 25, 1942 (SAKA) KIDNAPPING OF CHILDREN

†3350.  SHRIMATI RANJANBEN DHANANJAY BHATT:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it  is  a  fact  that  the  business  of  selling  innocent  children  by kidnapping them is rapidly flourishing in various parts of the country;
- (b) if so, whether the Government is considering to take concrete steps to check it;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a)  to  (d):  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life of citizens, including investigation and prosecution of crime  against  children,  rests  with  respective  State  Governments,  who  are competent to deal with such offences under the extant provisions of laws. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles crime statistics reported to it by States and Union Territories (UTs) and publishes the same in its annual publication 'Crime in India'. The latest published report is of the year 2019. Specific data in respect of business of selling of minors by kidnapping them is  not  maintained  centrally.  However,  data  on  the  number  of  children trafficked  as  reported  by  States  and  UTs  shows  no  uniform  trend.  Data  in respect of selling of minors for prostitution shows a declining trend.

The Government of India attaches high importance in addressing crime against children and has been supplementing the efforts of State Governments by way of providing them financial assistance to establish and strengthen  the  infrastructure  in  combating  crime  at  various  levels  in  the States  as  well  as  by  providing  them  regular  guidance  and  advice  through various  advisories,  guidelines  and  Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOPs) issued from time to time.

A  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SOP)  for  tracing  missing  children, prepared  by  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development,  has  been circulated to all States and UTs for dissemination to all stakeholders such as Police,  Child  Welfare  Committees  (CWCs),  Juvenile  Justice  Boards  (JJBs) etc.  This  SOP  lays  down  uniform  guidelines  for  expediting  the  search  and rehabilitation of a missing child all over the country.

For providing outreach services to missing children and needy children, the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  operates  Child  Helpline  No. 1098, which is operational 24/7. Apart from this, Railway Childlines at major railway platforms are also being operated to provide assistance to any needy child. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has also developed a national tracking system for missing and vulnerable children namely TrackChild portal, which has been implemented across the country. It also launched  the  'Khoya-Paya'  portal  in  2015,  which  is  an  enabling  platform, where  citizens  can  report  missing  children  as  well  as  sightings  of  their whereabouts without losing much time.

Further, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently released Rs. 100  crore  from  Nirbhaya  Fund  for  strengthening/  setting  up  Anti  Human Trafficking Units in all districts of the country for preventing and combating the  trafficking  in  persons,  including  women  and  children.  MHA  also  issues regular guidelines and advisories to the States and UTs with the advice to evolve a coordination mechanism among various departments of States and UTs.    States  have  also  been  advised  to  hold  awareness  campaigns  at  all levels in the State as this will help in identification, tracing and recovery of missing and trafficked victims.

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