Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, And Andhra Pradesh Top List Of States With Most Trafficked Children, Reveals NGO Study

A new comprehensive report titled 'Child Trafficking in India: Insights from Situational Data Analysis and the Need for Tech-driven Intervention Strategies,' jointly compiled by Games24x7 and the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF), has unveiled distressing revelations about the child trafficking crisis plaguing the country. Released on the occasion of the 'World Day Against Trafficking in Persons,' the report provides a deep analysis of child trafficking incidents from 2016 to 2022, presenting a concerning picture of the situation.

According to the report, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh emerge as the top three states with the highest number of trafficked children during the specified period. Furthermore, the national capital, Delhi, witnessed an alarming 68 percent  surge in child trafficking cases from pre to post-Covid times, as reported by PTI.

The study also sheds light on the sectors where child labor is rampant, with hotels and dhabas employing the highest percentage of child laborers at 15.6 percent, followed by the automobile or transport industry at 13 percent, and the garment sector at 11.18 percent. Shockingly, the report found children as young as five and eight years working in the cosmetic industry.

Data for the report was gathered by Games24x7's data science team from KSCF and its partners, covering child trafficking cases across 262 districts in 21 states. The study rescued as many as 13,549 children under the age of 18, forming a sample size for further analysis. Notably, 80 percent  of the rescued children fell within the age group of 13 to 18 years, while 13 percent were aged nine to 12 years, and over 2 percent were even younger than nine years, indicating the pervasive nature of the issue across various age groups.

The report highlights the significant increase in child trafficking incidents across various states, with Uttar Pradesh standing out with a staggering rise from 267 reported incidents in the pre-Covid phase (2016-2019) to 1214 cases in the post-Covid phase (2021-2022). Similarly, Karnataka witnessed an 18-fold increase, soaring from just six to 110 reported incidents.

Despite the alarming figures, the report acknowledges the positive impact of proactive efforts by government and law enforcement agencies over the past decade. Frequent interventions and awareness campaigns have led to an increase in reporting and have curtailed the number of trafficked children.

However, the report strongly emphasizes the pressing need for a comprehensive anti-trafficking law to effectively combat the persistent and distressing issue of child trafficking in India.