In 2022, the number of human trafficking cases per million population in India was 1.63. It was an increase compared to the values recorded a year before. In the last few years, the occurrence of this severe offense went down significantly.

In 2022, over one thousand human trafficking cases were reported with almost three thousand victims across India. The state of Maharashtra had the highest number of human trafficking cases in the country with over 230 cases.

In 2022, the Indian city of Delhi reported 79 human trafficking cases with over 511 victims. Closely followed by the city of Mumbai with about 44 cases and 62 victims that year.

In 2022, trafficking of girls accounted for 36.8 percent of the total cases of child trafficking in India. It was a notable decrease compared to the figures obtained in 2021. Trafficking of minors is a serious and punishable offense recognized by the constitution of India.

In 2020, there were close to 1.4 thousand boys who were victims of human trafficking in India. Meanwhile, the number of girl victims of human trafficking across the country was smaller, with 845 during the same time period.

Sexual exploitation of minors in India

India, with its complex hierarchical social system, is known to be predominantly patriarchal. It is therefore not uncommon, that existing gender norms favor and empower male members of society rather than it’s female ones. Studies indicate that girls from lower castes and those belonging to the lower end of the socio-economic strata are most vulnerable to sexual exploitation. This is largely a consequence of child, early, and forced marriage. In a patriarchal society, the perceived gender norm for males is typically the expectation of “being strong”, which may often discourage young male victims of sexual abuse from seeking help. This is also known to fuel stigmatization which could further exacerbate instances of sexual violence going unreported.

Education for children in India

For a developing country like India, primary education is a crucial first step toward alleviating poverty, reducing crime and violence against children, and improving the lives of many in the present and future. Studies reflect a positive correlation between the level of education of a person and their standard of living. Despite significant strides having been made in this sector with government initiatives such as Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan or universal elementary education, less than 50 percent of all school-eligible children do not have access to elementary education.

BackgroundThere is very limited evidence on the health consequences of human trafficking. This systematic review reports on studies investigating the prevalence and risk of violence while trafficked and the prevalence and risk of physical, mental, and sexual health problems, including HIV, among trafficked people. Methods and FindingsWe conducted a systematic review comprising a search of Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science, hand searches of reference lists of included articles, citation tracking, and expert recommendations. We included peer-reviewed papers reporting on the prevalence or risk of violence while trafficked and/or on the prevalence or risk of any measure of physical, mental, or sexual health among trafficked people. Two reviewers independently screened papers for eligibility and appraised the quality of included studies. The search identified 19 eligible studies, all of which reported on trafficked women and girls only and focused primarily on trafficking for sexual exploitation. The review suggests a high prevalence of violence and of mental distress among women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation. The random effects pooled prevalence of diagnosed HIV was 31.9% (95% CI 21.3%–42.4%) in studies of women accessing post-trafficking support in India and Nepal, but the estimate was associated with high heterogeneity (I2 = 83.7%). Infection prevalence may be related as much to prevalence rates in women's areas of origin or exploitation as to the characteristics of their experience. Findings are limited by the methodological weaknesses of primary studies and their poor comparability and generalisability. ConclusionsAlthough limited, existing evidence suggests that trafficking for sexual exploitation is associated with violence and a range of serious health problems. Further research is needed on the health of trafficked men, individuals trafficked for other forms of exploitation, and effective health intervention approaches. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

The dataset contains year- and state-wise data on number of anti-trafficking police units in India

The dataset contains year- and type-of-crime-wise data on the number of Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes registered, as per the NCRB data. The types of crimes covered in the dataset include Murder, Dacoity, Robbery, Burglary, Theft, Riots, Abetment of Suicide, Affray, Arson, Assault on Women, Culpable Homicide, Dacoity/Robbery, Murder, Rape, Commit Suicide, Buying of Minors for Prostitution, Causing Death by Negligence, Cheating by Impersonation, Circulate False/Fake News/Rumours, Counterfeiting, Cruelty by Husband or his Relatives, Dowry Deaths, Extortion & Blackmailing, Human Trafficking, Hurt, among others

Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data was reported at 543.000 Unit in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 531.000 Unit for 2014. Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data is updated yearly, averaging 543.000 Unit from Jun 2013 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 762.000 Unit in 2013 and a record low of 531.000 Unit in 2014. Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Railways. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Transportation, Post and Telecom Sector – Table IN.TB018: Railway Statistics: Railway Crime.

More than 52 thousand people were prosecuted for their involvement in drug trafficking in India in 2018. This figure represents a significant increase from the previous year.

Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Arrest Made: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data was reported at 317.000 Unit in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 288.000 Unit for 2014. Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Arrest Made: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data is updated yearly, averaging 317.000 Unit from Jun 2013 (Median) to 2015, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 387.000 Unit in 2013 and a record low of 288.000 Unit in 2014. Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Arrest Made: Trafficking of Contraband Goods data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Railways. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Transportation, Post and Telecom Sector – Table IN.TB018: Railway Statistics: Railway Crime.

This statistic shows the number of persons convicted for drug trafficking in India between 2013 and 2017. More than 27 thousand people were convicted for their involvement in drug trafficking. As seen from the graph, 2015 saw the most number of convictions with over 38 thousand people found guilty for drug trafficking.

Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods在2015达543.000 单位，相较于2014的531.000 单位有所增长。Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods数据按每年更新，2013至2015期间平均值为543.000 单位，共3份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于2013，达762.000 单位，而历史最低值则出现于2014，为531.000 单位。CEIC提供的Railway Crime: Railway Protection Force: Indian Panel Code: Number of Cases Detected: Trafficking of Contraband Goods数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于Ministry of Railways，数据归类于India Premium Database的Transportation, Post and Telecom Sector – Table IN.TB018: Railway Statistics: Railway Crime。

In 2022, more than 83 thousand children in India were missing. In comparison to the previous year, the number of missing children in the country increased significantly. Many of these cases were likely to have close links to human trafficking and child labor.

Worldwide, India was the country with the highest number of people living in modern slavery, either as forced laborers, sexual exploitation, forced marriages, or other forms of coercion. An estimated ** million people were living in modern slavery in India, followed by *** million in China. This may be no surprise as these are the two most populous countries worldwide. North Korea was the country with the highest number of people in modern slavery per 1,000 inhabitants.

The dataset contains year-, type-of-crime- and gender-wise compiled data on the number of different types of crimes which were committed against children and the number of victims who were affected by the same crimes. The different types of crimes covered in the dataset include kidnapping and abduction crimes such as kidanapping and abduction for the purpose of murder, begging, ransom, compelling for marriage, procuration of minor girls, importation of girls from foreign countries, missing deemed as kidnapped, etc., fatal crimes such as murder, attempt to commit murder, muder with rape, abetment of suicide of child, infanticide, foeticide, trafficking and sexual crimes such buying and selling of minors for prostitution, use of children for pornography, transmiting sexual content and material involving children in sexually explicit acts, sexual assualt, penetrative sexual assault, rape, and other crimes such as child labour, child marriage, exposure, abandaonment, simple hurt, grievous hurt, insult and assualt of damage modesty, crimes under juvenile justice act and transplantation of organs act, etc.

This statistic shows the number of persons arrested in illicit drug cases in India between 2013 to 2017. As seen from the graph, 2017 saw the most number of arrests with over 56 thousand people arrested for drug trafficking. These arrests also included persons of foreign nationalities.

A survey conducted among global experts about the factors that make a country unsafe found India the most dangerous country for women in 2018, based on rankings. India ranked number one in the culture and religion, sexual violence and human trafficking categories. The country was perceived as most dangerous for women in terms of cultural, tribal and religious traditions or customary practices, in addition to the sexual violence. The latter included rape and forced labor, marriage and/or sexual slavery.

Violence against women The majority of women in India, regardless of age group, do not feel safe being alone. Be it on the streets, in the markets or supermarkets or even at work or home. Going out alone after dark is usually ridden with fear of being sexually harassed or raped. In 2018, over 33 thousand rape cases were reported in India, while approximately one-third of all women in India claim to have experienced some form of sexual crime.

Marriage and women’s empowerment

The third millennium development goal, set to be fulfilled by 2015, was to ensure gender equality and empower women. Figures show, however, that this was far from fulfilled. The position of a woman in Indian society is determined by her marital status. If she is married, she is considered secure, settled and complete in society. For this reason, marriage below the legal in many social groups is not uncommon.

Studies suggest that the general perception relative to equal rights for women in India is considered to be an issue that has been overstated, or considered unreasonable due to cultural biases and myopic views. Empowerment studies indicate that the only weapon to counter sexual and gender discrimination is education.

The Indian state of Sikkim utilized about 125 percent of share of the National Legal Services Authority fund in financial year 2022. By contrast, Goa utilized only about 49 percent of the NALSA fund that year.

National Legal Services Authority The NALSA, located in New Delhi, first came into being under the Legal Services Authorities Acts of 1987. The primary role of this body is to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of society while ensuring that opportunities for securing justice are accessible and affordable to every citizen of the country. In addition, it also carries the onus of organizing Lok Adalats which translates as “people’s court”. Lok Adalat is an official judicial alternative dispute resolution system, which attempts to settle pending cases at the panchayat level or village council level. In a court of law, this serves as a formal pre-litigation stage. Legal aid in India Free legal services include free legal aid in all civil and criminal matters for the socio-economically weaker sections of society. Primarily, it alludes to the marginalized sections of society unable to afford lawyer services for settling any legal proceedings in a court. However, free legal aid may include the nominal charges such as payment of court fees or other miscellaneous charges relative to legal proceedings. The sections of society enlisted under the Legal Services Authorities Act are women and children, victims of human trafficking or natural disasters, a mentally disabled person, citizens with an annual income of less than nine thousand rupees, industrial workmen and members belonging to scheduled casts and tribes.