Rajeev Chandrasekhar's official website - Member of Parliament

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Home Affairs

 RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2726
ANSWERED ON THE FEBRUARY 19, 2014 / MAGHA 30, 1935 (SAKA)

 QUESTION
Special Police Cells to Deal With Cases of Missing Children

 

2726. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

 Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state;

 (a)   whether in view of the rapidly increasing cases of missing children in the National Capital and other parts of the country and the possible horrifying linkages of this to child exploitation and trafficking, does the Government proposes to create Special Police Cells throughout the country to exclusively deal with these cases; and 

(b)   if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

 

 ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)

 

(a) & (b): The President of India on 2nd April, 2013 has consented to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which has come into force since 3rd Feb, 2013. In the said Act, Article 370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been substituted with Article 370 and 370A IPC, which provide 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. 

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, which has come into effect from 14th November, 2012 is a special law to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation. 

As per seventh schedule to the Constitution of India "Police" and "Public Order'' are State subjects and, as such, the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime, lies with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. However, the Union Government attaches highest Importance to the matter of prevention and control of crime against children and through various advisories and schemes augments the efforts of the State Governments/UTs. 

In pursuance to Hon'ble Supreme Court's order, the Ministry of Home Affairs has circulated an advisory on Hon'ble Supreme Court's direction to file FIR in case of missing children dated 25th June, 2013. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs had also issued a detailed Advisory on missing children and steps to be taken for tracing the children on 31st January, 2012. It includes various directions to States/UTs like computerization of records, involvement of NGOs and other organizations, community awareness programmes etc. A comprehensive pro-forma has been circulated to all States/UTs to facilitate better data collection on missing and found children. 

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a portal namely 'TrackChild' in the country, which is aimed at maintaining the data of all children availing rehabilitation services under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). It is designed to have two parts as 'Missing' and 'Found' section where every particular details of the missing / found children; like physical attributes, place of missing / recovery, special identification marks etc., as reported in the Police Stations are stored in database. The special software along with search engine, then matches the identical parameters of recovered children within its database uploaded from various functionaries of ICPS to facilitate identification of recovered children. 

With a view to tackle the menace of human trafficking, Ministry of Home Affairs has undertaken a number of measures such as: 

  • An Anti-Trafficking Nodal Cell has been set up in Ministry of Home Affairs 
  • Anti-Trafficking nodal cells have been created at district level headed by Superintendents of Police. 
  • Coordination meetings are held with the State Anti-Trafficking Nodal Officers in the MHA periodically. 
  • Comprehensive Advisories have been issued to all States/UTs from time to time for preventing and combating crime of human trafficking. 
  • Sanctioned a Comprehensive Scheme, wherein it is proposed to establish 330 Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) throughout the country for missing untraced children up to the age of 08 years and for identifying organized gangs involved in kidnapping of children.

 Delhi Police had created Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all 11 Districts and Crime Branch of Delhi Police for investigation of missing untraced children up to the age of 08 years and for identifying organized gangs involved in kidnapping of children. 

Apart from the above, Section 63(3) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, provides for creation of 'Special Juvenile Police Unit' for every district and city to coordinate and upgrade the treatment of juveniles and children by the police.

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