MEMBERS REFERENCE SERVICE

LARRDIS
LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT
NEW DELHI

REFERENCE NOTE
For the use of Members of Parliament NOT FOR PUBLICATION

No.23/RN/Ref./July/2018

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIA

Prepared by Shri G. Ranga Rao, Additional Director (23035251) and Shri Vinod Kumar, Deputy
Director of Lok Sabha Secretariat under the supervision of Smt. Kalpana Sharma, Joint Secretary and
Shri R.N. Das, Director

The Reference Note is for personal use of the Members in the discharge of their Parliamentary duties, and is
not for publication. This Service is not to be quoted as the source of information as it is based on the sources
indicated at the end/in the context.
 HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights.

Every year, thousands of women and children fall into the hands of traffickers in their
own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by
trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for the victims.
Human trafficking has been identified as the third largest source of profit for
organized crime, following arms and drug trafficking, generating billions of dollars
annually at the global level. An estimated 6 to 8 lakh women and children are
trafficked each year globally. This estimate does not include those trafficked within
their own countries or missing children.
Women and children are generally trafficked for begging, organ trade, drug
smuggling, bonded labour, domestic work, agricultural labour, construction work,
carpet industry, forced prostitution, sex tourism, pornography and also for
entertainment and sports which include beer bars, camel jockey and circus troops.

2. WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish

Trafficking in Persons of the United Nations defines Trafficking as the recruitment,
transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or the
use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the
abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of giving or receiving of
payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another
person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the
exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced
labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of
organs.
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3. ELEMENTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING: On the basis of the definition

given in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, it is evident that trafficking in persons
has three constituent elements:-

The Act (What is done) – Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt

of persons

The Means (How it is done) – Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud,
deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person
in control of the victim

The Purpose (Why it is done) – For exploitation, which includes exploiting the
prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices
and the removal of organs.
4. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The Constitution of India: There are three articles in the Constitution of India
relating to this subject;. Article 23 which prohibits trafficking in human beings and
begar and other similar forms of forced labour and Article 39(e) and 39(f) which
ordain that the health and strength of individuals are not abused and that no one is
forced by the economic necessity to do work unsuited to their age or strength and that
childhood and youth should be protected against exploitation.

Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956: It is the only legislation which specifically
addresses Trafficking and is currently pending amendment. It penalizes trafficking of
women and children for commercial sexual exploitation.

Other Legislations: There are some more legislations which directly or indirectly
deal with human trafficking like:-
Indian Penal Code, 1860;
Bonded labour system (Abolition) Act, 1976;
Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986;
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Juvenile Justice Act, 2000;

Goa Children Act, 2002;
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and
Protection of Children from Sexual offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013, known as the Nirbhaya Act has
come into force wherein Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code has been substituted
with 370A (IPC) which provides for comprehensive measures to counter the menace
of human trafficking including trafficking of children for exploitation in any form
including physical exploitation or any form of sexual exploitation, slavery, servitude
or the forced removal of organs.

5. REPORTED INCIDENTS OF CRIME: A total of 8,132 incidents of crime under

various provisions of laws relating to human trafficking were reported with a crime
rate of 0.6 in the country during 2016. 15,379 victims (5,229 males and 10,150
females) were trafficked and 23,117 victims (10,347 males and 12,770 females) were
rescued out of which 22932 victims belonged to India, 38 victims were from Sri
Lanka and Nepal each and 36 victims were from Bangladesh during 2016. A
maximum number of victims were trafficked for the purpose of Forced Labour
(10,509 victims) followed by Sexual Exploitation for Prostitution (4,980 victims) and
other forms of Sexual Exploitation (2,590 victims)
A look into the incidences of human trafficking shows that there is a trend of
steady rising of such cases during the period from 2012–2016. From 3,554 cases
relating to human trafficking reported during 2012, it rose to 3,940 cases in 2013. It
further rose to 5,235 cases in 2014, 7143 cases in 2015 and 8,132 cases in 2016. For
State wise details of cases of trafficking reported/disposed during 2016. see annexure.
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6. THE UN OFFICE ON DRUG AND CRIME (UNODC's)

Response to Human Trafficking: The UNODC offers practical help to States, not
only helping to draft laws and creating comprehensive national anti-trafficking
strategies but also assisting with resources to implement them. States receive
specialized assistance including the development of local capacity and expertise, as
well as practical tools to encourage cross-border cooperation in investigation and
prosecution.

The adoption in 2000 by the UN General Assembly of the Protocol to Prevent,

Suppress and Punish Trafficking In Persons, Especially Women and Children marked
a significant milestone in international efforts to stop the trade in people. As the
guardian of the Protocol, the UNODC addresses human trafficking issues through its
Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons.

7. GOVERNMENT MEASURES AGAINST TRAFFICKING

Project on “strengthening the law enforcement response in India against
trafficking in persons through training and capacity building”: The Government
of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs, in association with the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime has initiated a two year project for training the Law
Enforcement Officers on human trafficking in four States, namely Maharashtra, Goa,
West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. A Project Steering Committee has been constituted
for steering, guiding and monitoring the project. Through a series of training
programmes, the project is expected to raise the awareness levels of the Law
Enforcement Officers (police & prosecutors) on the problem of human trafficking and
further build up their capacity to better investigate the crime and prosecute the
offenders perpetrating such crime.
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Coordination Meetings: The Ministry of Home Affairs conducts regular coordination

meetings with the Nodal Officers of Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) of
States/UTs. These meetings are instrumental in according priority to the crime of
human trafficking at the ground level and for effective Inter-State coordination and
have been useful as the Government has been regularly monitoring the implementation
of the (AHTUs) and the Ministry of Home Affairs outlines various action areas to each
State which becomes the focus of the work in these States. The Nodal Officers
meetings have also led to the exchange of information among various States and
strengthening of inter-State investigations.

IGNOU Certificate Course: To develop a comprehensive and functional

understanding on anti human trafficking and coordination amongst learners about
various stakeholders/agencies associated with the process of human trafficking directly
and to build awareness and practical skills in the area of law, policies, rehabilitation
and prevention aspects of human trafficking, a Certificate Course has been launched by
the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in partnership with the Ministry
of Home Affairs. The said course has been made mandatory for the Officers/Officials
who are dealing with the subject of human trafficking. In this regard an advisory dated
12 January 2011 had been issued.

Anti Trafficking Cell: The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a Nodal Cell for
dealing with matters relating to trafficking in human beings. Since ‘Police’ is a State
subject, registration, investigation and prevention of human trafficking is primarily the
responsibility of State Governments. However, the Government of India has taken
various steps for combating the menace of human trafficking. The Home Ministry has
issued several advisories to the States and UTs from time to time providing guidance
on addressing the issue of trafficking in an effective manner.
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Anti –Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs): As stated earlier, the MHA’s project on
“Strengthening law enforcement response in India against Trafficking in Persons
through Training and Capacity Building”, approved a proposal to establish 332 Anti-
Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in various districts across the country. The
Ministry provides financial assistance to the States for setting up the AHTUs. So far,
264 AHTUs have been set up all over the country.

State-level Conference and Judicial Colloquiums: Financial assistance is offered to

States and UTs to hold Conferences on Human Trafficking to sensitize and generate
awareness among the law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders for curbing the
menace of trafficking. Financial assistance is offered to Judicial Academies of the High
Courts to hold Judicial Colloquiums in order to sensitize Magistrates and Judicial
Officers for expeditious disposal of trafficking cases.

Advisory/Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to State Governments on Human

Trafficking: The Government of India has issued exhaustive and consolidated
advisories enumerating various steps for improving effectiveness in tackling the crime
of human trafficking and increasing the responsiveness of the law enforcement
machineries from time to time to all States/UTs; the latest was issued in July 2015. In
addition, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to handle trafficking of children and
measures to be taken for rescue of trafficked children and action against
traffickers/employers was issued on 12 August 2013. The main points of the SOP are:

(i) The Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) shall take all necessary steps to
investigate cases relating to trafficked persons with special emphasis on
organized crime and to target the economics of crime syndicates through
sealing, attachment and confiscation of property etc.
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(ii) Rescue teams should be multi-disciplinary comprising of representatives of

Police or Labour, SDM or his representative, NGO/complainant, lady
police/volunteer, and member of Child Welfare Boards

(iii) Repatriation of rescued children should be a prime objective in the

investigation to ensure that the child goes back to safety.

(iv) Statement of victims should be recorded under Section 164 of CrPC and
charge sheet should be filed soon after investigation.

(v) There should also be an inquiry for home verification under the Juvenile
Justice Act before repatriation and the Child Welfare Committee in the home
district shall be responsible for the well being of the child.

(vi) The Labour Department should initiate proceedings for an immediate

recovery of a fine of 20,000 and the said amount shall go to the
Rehabilitation Cum Welfare Society of Child Labour in the native district of
the child for his/her socio-economic and educational rehabilitation.

The Department of Labour shall also initiate proceedings for the recovery of
back wages of the child as per the Minimum Wage Act, 1948.

Web Portal on Anti-Human Trafficking: A Website on Anti Human Trafficking

(stophumantrafficking-mha.nic.in) was launched in February 2014. It is a vital IT tool
for sharing information among stakeholders, States/UTs and civil society
organizations for effective implementation of Anti-Human trafficking measures.

Ujjawala Scheme: The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing

“Ujjawala” –a Comprehensive Scheme for Prevention of Trafficking and Rescue,
Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Repatriation of Victims of Trafficking for
Commercial Sexual Exploitation. The number of beneficiaries under the scheme in the
year 2017-18 and 2016-17 each is 6,175. The Schemes provide shelter, food and
clothing, counseling, medical care, legal aid and other support, vocational training and
income generation activities for the victims. Trafficked victims are also given shelter in
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Short Stay Homes and Swadhar Homes, meant for women in difficult circumstances.
The Details of the funds allocated during the last three years and current year are as
under:
Year Budget Estimates (Rs. in Crores)
2014-15 16.00
2015-16 20.00
2016-17 35.00
2017-18 as on 05.03.2018 50.00
Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): The Ministry of Women and Child
Development is implementing the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for
creation and management of infrastructure and human resources necessary for
establishing a safe and secure environment for children, especially for children in
difficult circumstances. Financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for improving,
setting up and maintenance of Homes, Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) and
Open Shelters for children in need of care and protection. Besides, financial assistance
is also provided for setting up of dedicated service delivery structures at State and
District levels, with staff exclusively engaged for providing services to children
including need assessment, training and sensitization, awareness generation, etc. The
Scheme also focuses on non-institutional care through adoption, foster-care and after-
care.

8. Bilateral and Multilateral Mechanisms: India has signed Bilateral Memoranda

of Understanding with Bangladesh and UAE for prevention of human trafficking. India
has been engaging with several countries and has responded positively to the proposals
for entering into MOUs on human trafficking with interested countries to curb the
menace. India is a signatory to the SAARC Convention on Prevention and Combating
Trafficking in Women and Children in Prostitution. India has ratified the UN
Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC), which has as one of its
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Protocols, “Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons,

particularly Women and Children”.

9. New Legislation: Presently trafficking of persons is dealt under the provisions

of various Acts but there still remain some deficiencies in the existing legislations and
after considering the issue relating to prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of
trafficking, the Union Government has drafted a comprehensive legislation, namely,
the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018,
covering all aspects related to trafficking of persons and is expected to be introduced in
the monsoon session of Parliament.

CONCLUSION: Trafficking in human beings, especially children, is a form of

modern day slavery and requires a holistic, multi-sectoral approach to address the
complex dimension of the problem. It is a problem that violates the rights and dignity
of the victims and therefore requires essentially a child rights perspective, while
working on its eradication. In the fight against trafficking, governmental organizations,
non-governmental organizations, civil society, pressure groups and international
bodies, all have to play an important role and work in concert. Law cannot be the only
instrument to address complex social problems.

References:
1. Human Trafficking in South Asia by Vinod K. Bhardwaj and Sherap Bhutia (2014).
2. Human Trafficking, URL: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-
human-trafficking.html?ref=menuside
3. India. Ministry of Home Affairs, Annual Report, 2013-14.
4. India. Ministry of Home Affairs, Annual Report, 2016-17.
5. India, Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 758 dated 16.08.2012
6. India, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1879 dated 22.07.2014.
7. India, Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1600 dated 08.03.2018.
8. India, Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 344 dated 20.03.2018.
9. India, Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4470 dated 05.04.2018.
10. https://mha.gov.in/division_of_mha/anti-trafficking-cell#
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Annexure

State wise details of cases of trafficking reported/disposed during 2016

State/UT-wise detail of cases of trafficking reported/charge-sheeted/convicted/persons arrested/convicted etc. during 2016
S.No. State/UT Cases Cases Cases Cases Persons Persons Persons Person Acquitted/
Reported Charge- Convicted Acquitted/ Arrested Charge- Convicted discharged by the
sheeted by Court Discharged sheeted Court
by Court
1 Andhra Pradesh 239 76 2 120 599 265 2 286
2 Arunachal Pradesh 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
3 Assam 91 28 0 0 98 37 0 0
4 Bihar 43 43 0 0 114 114 0 0
5 Chhattisgarh 68 17 0 0 193 46 0 0
6 Goa 40 22 0 0 76 60 0 0
7 Gujarat 548 63 4 0 554 82 6 0
8 Haryana 51 4 1 0 281 105 2 0
9 Himachal Pradesh 8 6 0 0 223 1653 2 0
10 Jammu & Kashmir 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 16
11 Jharkhand 109 63 61 7 83 75 0 0
12 Karnataka 404 5 0 0 1273 16 0 0
13 Kerala 21 14 0 1 157 79 0 3
14 Madhya Pradesh 51 6 0 0 170 6 0 0
15 Maharashtra 517 148 2 0 1173 328 6 4
16 Manipur 3 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
17 Meghalaya 7 0 0 0 14 0 0 0
18 Mizoram 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
19 Nagaland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Odisha 84 49 0 0 150 120 0 0
21 Punjab 13 11 0 0 28 37 0 0
22 Rajasthan 1422 394 9 11 1087 950 47 42
23 Sikkim 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
24 Tamil Nadu 434 139 59 69 1725 1242 72 173
25 Telangana 229 46 0 0 591 113 0 0
26 Tripura 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 Uttar Pradesh 79 44 2 1 172 101 11 0
28 Uttarakhand 12 15 0 2 37 58 0 5
29 West Bengal 3579 1186 23 212 1847 1795 11 224
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30 A & N Islands 1 1 0 0 7 7 0 0
31 Chandigarh 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 0
32 D&N Haveli 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 Daman & Diu 7 0 0 0 38 0 0 0
34 Delhi UT 66 23 0 0 106 0 0 0
35 Lakshadweep 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 Puducherry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 8132 2403 163 424 10815 7292 159 753
Source : L.S Starred Q NO. *344 FOR 20.03.2018