Lok Sabha Question No. 1473 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Child Trafficking
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Gautam Gambhir

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1473

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2023

## CHILD TRAFFICKING

## 1473. SHRI GAUTAM GAMBHIR :

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  working  on  any  comprehensive  strategy  to  build infrastructure to combat child trafficking especially in border areas; and
- (b) if so, the  details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b) : The Government is administering the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015) (as amended in 2021), which is the primary law for children in difficult circumstances including children trafficked in border areas.  As per Section 2 (14) (ix) of JJ Act, 2015, a child who is found vulnerable and is likely to be inducted into drug abuse or trafficking is a 'Child in Need of Care and Protection'. The JJ Act 2015 mandates a security net of service delivery structures to provide institutional and non-institutional care to these children including children trafficked in border areas. The primary responsibility of implementation of the Act lies with the State Governments and UT Administrations.  Further, under the JJ Act, 2015 (Sections 27-30), the Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) have been empowered to take decisions with regard to the children in need of care and protection including trafficked children, keeping their best interest in mind. CWCs are also mandated to monitor the functioning of the Child Care Institutions (CCIs).

Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme  namely  Mission  Vatsalya  through  State  and  UT  Governments  under  which financial assistance is provided on a predefined cost sharing norms for delivering services for Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) including rehabilitation of trafficked children.  The  CCIs  established  under  the  scheme  support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, etc.

Ministry of Women and Child Development through Nirbhaya Fund has provided Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA)  financial  assistance  of  about  Rs.  250  crore  to  the States/UTs in the last 2-3 years for establishing Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTU) in all Districts of the States/UTs and for establishing a Women Help Desk (WHD) in every Police Station of the State/UT. MHA has also provided Grant-in-aid to Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for establishing AHTUs in international border area. Both AHTUs and WHDs provide support to women and children who are in need of any kind of assistance.

MHA has also advised the States/UTs to establish institutional mechanism at all levels of the State/UT - State Headquarter level, District level and Police Station level, with a view to address the issue of human trafficking in a comprehensive manner. The Ministry of Home Affairs also provides financial assistance to the States/Union Territories to hold 'Judicial Colloquiums' and 'State level conferences' for sensitizing law officers/Police  Officers,  etc.  on  issues  relating  to  trafficking.  For  addressing  crossborder/transnational issues of human trafficking, bilateral Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia and Myanmar; and multilateral instruments on human trafficking have also been signed by India.

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