Just Rights for Children is the country’s largest network of over 250 NGOs working in 418 districts across the country. The JRC network alone rescued 56,242 trafficked children between 1st April 2024 and 30th April 2025 and initiated over 38,353 legal actions against perpetrators in the country.
In Bihar, 35 partner NGOs of the network work in 38 districts for child protection and child rights and rescued over 4991 children from child labour and trafficking, and stopped/prevented 21,485 child marriages since 2023. Formal action was initiated in 6510 cases.
Emphasising on the importance of community participation to combat crimes against children, Hulesh Manjhi, Member, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said, “We, as a society, should report any abuse against children. So many vulnerable children are often abused and exploited in front of us and yet, we fail to acknowledge them. This needs to stop because saving children is everyone’s collective responsibility.”
Speaking at the consultation, Shilpee Soniraj, Member Secretary of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority, emphasized the need for a sensitive and victim-centered approach in trafficking cases. “We must be extremely sensitive while addressing cases of human trafficking. The need of the hour is not just justice, but just rehabilitation too, to ensure that children who have been wronged receive the justice and care they truly deserve.”
Dr. Amit Kumar Jain, ADG, Weaker Sections, Bihar Police, acknowledged the need for stronger coordination across sectors to combat trafficking effectively. “We are still far behind in achieving the sustainable development goals, and coordinated efforts are essential to move forward. At present, most of our operations are triggered by information provided by NGOs. While this support is invaluable, we need everyone in the ecosystem to step up and contribute to the flow of timely and actionable information.”
Lauding India’s legal framework against trafficking, Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said that India now has some of the strongest anti-trafficking laws in the world. “The Government of India has strengthened the trafficking laws in the country and added significant provisions and procedures under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. Now, to ensure that these laws are effectively implemented, we need coordinated action by all stakeholders at every level. Trafficking is an organised crime, and we must treat it as such. Time-bound trials, prompt action in cases of missing children, capacity building of all stakeholders, and stronger prosecution mechanisms are essential if we want to stay ahead of traffickers and effectively combat child trafficking.”
Other officials who were present included Vijay Kumar, Joint Labour Commissioner, Labour Department, Government of Bihar; Nisha Jha, Former Chairperson, SCPCR, Bihar; Anupama, Registrar, BSLSA; K.D. Mishra, Sr. Advocate; Sudha Vergese, Social Activist, Padma Shri Awardee; Ankita Kashyap, State Program Manager, Women and Child Development Corporation, Government of Bihar; Vatsal verma, Advocate, Patna High Court; Sunil Jha, Former Advisor to Social Welfare Department, Government of Bihar; Dhirendra, Sr DSP, EOU and Cyber Crime, Bihar Police along with JRC NGO partners in the day-long consultation aligned with the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
During the consultation, the officials reviewed the current legal and policy framework related to human trafficking in India, called for convergence between law enforcement agencies, judiciary, government departments, and civil society for bridging the gaps in enforcement, victim support, and inter-agency coordination; and advocated for a time-bound action plan towards elimination of child trafficking. Notably, human trafficking remains the third largest crime in the world after drug trafficking and arms smuggling, and with children being vulnerable and without agency or voice are often trapped by the traffickers and lured into various kinds of exploitative businesses.