**Executive Summary**
This document is the response from the Minister of Women and Child Development to Unstarred Question No. 1304, scheduled to be answered on February 6, 2026, regarding the status of inter-district movement of vulnerable children in Uttar Pradesh. It outlines the legislative measures and initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to address trafficking, child labor, and the protection of vulnerable children, referencing the Juvenile Justice Act, the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, and the Mission Vatsalya scheme. The response also includes data on children rescued from trafficking and the number of missing and recovered children in Uttar Pradesh from 2021 to 2023.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legislative Framework:**
* The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (amended in 2021) is the primary legislation for ensuring the safety, security, dignity, and well-being of children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with the law.
* The Act establishes statutory structures at the State and District levels, including State Child Protection Societies, Child Welfare Committees, Juvenile Justice Boards, and District Child Protection Units.
* The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits work for children below 14 and hazardous work for adolescents.
* Section 143 of BNS defines trafficking and outlines punishments for trafficking multiple persons or children. Section 144 deals with the exploitation of trafficked persons. Sections 95 and 99 relate to employing a child to commit an offense and buying a child for prostitution.
* **Government Initiatives:**
* The Ministry of Home Affairs issued advisories to State Governments/UT Administrations regarding Child Welfare Police Officers and Special Juvenile Police Units, as well as proactive steps to eliminate child labor.
* The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the Mission Vatsalya scheme to deliver services for children in difficult circumstances, including both institutional and non-institutional care services.
* The Ministry of Women and Child Development regularly follows up with the State/ UT Governments to ensure better implementation of the processes and procedures mandated under the JJ Act and Rules.
* **Data on Uttar Pradesh (2021-2023):**
* Annexure-I provides the number of children rescued in Uttar Pradesh in cases of trafficking during 2021 to 2023.
* Annexure-II provides the number of children missing and recovered in Uttar Pradesh during 2021 to 2023.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: State Governments/Union Territories**
* **Impact**: Primarily responsible for preventing and countering human trafficking under extant provisions of law, as 'Police' and 'Public Order' are state subjects.
* **Action Required**: Implement the processes and procedures mandated under the JJ Act and Rules, take proactive steps to eliminate child labor, ensure better coordination between law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
**Stakeholder: Law Enforcement Agencies (including Police, Anti-Human Trafficking Units, Railway Protection Force)**
* **Impact**: Play a critical role in dealing with crime against children.
* **Action Required**: Better coordination between law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, sensitizing the law enforcement agencies about gravity of child labor by way of training/workshops/seminars etc.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Women and Child Development**
* **Impact**: Responsible for implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Mission Vatsalya through the State/ UT Governments on pre-defined cost sharing basis between the Centre and the State Governments to deliver various services for children in difficult circumstances.
* **Action Required**: regularly follows up with the State/ UT Governments to ensure better implementation of the processes and procedures mandated under the JJ Act and Rules.
Key Entities Referenced
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Primary legislation ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-being of Children in Need of Care and Protection and Children in Conflict with Law.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: Union ministry responsible for the scheme implementation and for answering the Lok Sabha question.
Mission Vatsalya: Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented through the State/ UT Governments to deliver various services for children in difficult circumstances.
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita: Recognizes trafficking as a cognizable and non-bailable offense.
Uttar Pradesh: State to which the question specifically relates, particularly the inter-district movement and rescue of vulnerable children.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1304
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2026
STATUS OF INTER-DISTRICT MOVEMENT OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN
1304. MS. IQRA CHOUDHARY :
SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ :
Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:
(a) the number of children rescued in cases of trafficking, child labour/missing children
who were subsequently transferred across districts for rehabilitation, care or
restoration in Uttar Pradesh during the last three years;
(b) the number of cases where follow-up reports from receiving districts were not
recorded within prescribed timelines;
(c) whether any lack of inter-district tracking resulted in children being re-reported as
missing, trafficked/untraceable, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether any institutional gaps were identified in coordination between District Child
Protection Units, Child Welfare Committees and State authorities in tracking such
cases;
(e) if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the measures being taken to establish mandatory inter-district tracking, data
sharing/accountability mechanisms for vulnerable children in the said State?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)
(a) to (f): (The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act, 2015),
as amended in 2021 is the primary legislation for ensuring safety, security, dignity and well-
being of Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) as well as Children in Conflict
with Law (CCL). It caters to their basic needs, care, protection, development, treatment,
rehabilitation and social re-integration. The Act creates statutory structures at the State and
District levels which include State Child Protection Society, Child Welfare Committees,
Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), District Child Protection Units. It also provides for
establishment of Child Care Institutions (CCIs).
As per Section 2 (14) (ii) and (ix) of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act,
2015 (JJ Act) as amended in 2021, a child who is found working in contravention of the
provisions of this act or labour laws for the time being in force or is found begging, or living
on the street and who is found vulnerable is included as a “child in need of care and
protection”, among others.
The Government of India has taken several steps to prevent child labour including enactment
of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. The Act inter-alia covers complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age
in any occupation or process and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years
in hazardous occupations and processes. It also provides for stricter punishment for
employers for violation of the Act and made the offence as cognizable.
Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory dated 17.10.2022 to State Governments/UT
Administrations regarding appointment of Child Welfare Police Officers and Special
Juvenile Police Units under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015 as these play
a critical role in dealing with crime against children. Further, MHA has also issued another
advisory dated 30.04.2024 to all State Governments/UT Administration to take pro-active
steps to eliminate child labour including registration of FIRs, ensuring better coordination
between law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders like NGOs; Anti-Human
Trafficking Units; District Child Protection Units; Railway Protection Force; Labour
factories etc., sensitizing the law enforcement agencies about gravity of child labour by way
of training/workshops/seminars etc.
Section 143 of BNS defines trafficking as recruiting, transporting, harbouring, transferring,
or receiving a person for exploitation using various coercive means. The section outlines
severe punishments for trafficking, with higher penalties for trafficking multiple persons or
children. Further, Section 144 of BNS, 2023, deals with the exploitation of trafficked persons,
including sexual exploitation. The section outlines different punishments for exploiting
trafficked children and adults, with distinct terms of imprisonment and fines. Section 95 of
BNS related to hiring, employing or engaging a child etc.to commit an offence, Section 99
of BNS related to buying a child for the purposes of prostitution are also relevant in the
context of human trafficking. Additionally, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),
2023 also recognizes trafficking as a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
Further, Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Centrally Sponsored
Scheme namely Mission Vatsalya through the State/ UT Governments on pre-defined cost
sharing basis between the Centre and the State Governments to deliver various services for
children in difficult circumstances, which include both institutional and non-institutional care
services. The Child Care Institutions (CCls) established under the Mission Vatsalya scheme
support, inter-alia, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health
care, counselling etc. Support under non-institutional care is provided by way of sponsorship,
foster care and after care to children in need of care and protection.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development regularly follows up with the State/ UT
Governments so as to ensure better implementation of the processes and procedures
mandated under the JJ Act and Rules.
Further, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are the "State” subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the
Constitution of India. The responsibility for preventing and countering the crime of human
trafficking, therefore, primarily vests with respective States/ Union Territories, who are
competent to deal with such offences under extant provisions of law.
As per the information provided by NCRB, the number of children rescued in Uttar Pradesh
in cases of trafficking during 2021 to 2023 is at Annexure-I. The number of Children Missing
and recovered in Uttar Pradesh during 2021 to 2023 is at Annexure-II.
*****Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UN-
STARRED QUESTION NO. 1304 FOR ANSWER ON 06.02.2026 BY MS IQRA
CHOUDHARY AND SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ
The number of children rescued in Uttar Pradesh in cases of trafficking during 2021 to
2023
2021 2022 2023
Trafficked Rescued Trafficked Rescued Trafficked Rescued
40 40 73 73 66 64Annexure-II
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UN-
STARRED QUESTION NO. 1304 FOR ANSWER ON 06.02.2026 BY MS IQRA
CHOUDHARY AND SHRI PUSHPENDRA SAROJ
The number of children missing and recovered children in Uttar Pradesh during 2021
to 2023
2021 2022 2023
Total children Total Total children Total Total children Total
missing recovered missing recovered missing recovered
5294 2764 5924 3750 6167 4110
*****