The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has updated standard operating procedure (SOP) to protect vulnerable children found on railway premises.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has assured funding for the project. This includes Operation AAHT which has saved over 2,300 children and captured 674 traffickers since 2022.
The SOP updates:
With the release of a new RPF slogan, “Our Mission: Prevent Child Trafficking on Trains,” Indian Railways has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that everyone can travel on trains safely.
The updated SOP takes into account the knowledge gained over the past ten years in dealing with human traffickers.
By offering a safety net for vulnerable children who might have been split up from their families, the updated SOP reaffirms Indian Railways’ dedication to stopping child exploitation and trafficking.
Following MoWCD’s 2022 “Mission Vatsalya,” which outlines the roles and responsibilities of railway personnel to identify, assist, and properly document children until they are connected with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), this SOP—which was first implemented in 2015 under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act and updated in 2021—has been further refined.
Data:
The need to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children who could be exploited by human traffickers, is urgent given that 30% of the more than 2.3 crore passengers who travel by rail every day are women. Many of these passengers travel alone.
In order to prevent trafficking and improve passenger safety, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) urged the state governments of Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh to set up Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) at their railway stations. RPF also briefed MoWCD officials on the significance of strengthening AHTUs.
Additionally, the Railways is also implementing measures such as CCTV and face recognition technology to improve the safety and security of juveniles and single women, at its upgraded stations.
Over the past five years, RPF has saved 57,564 children from human trafficking. There were 18,172 females among them.
Additionally, 80 percent of these children were reunited with their families. RPF has implemented several targeted initiatives under “Operation Nanhe Farishte” to ensure children’s safety across the railway network.
Some initiatives:
The RPF has suggested establishing Anti-Human Trafficking Units in approximately 262 stations throughout the nation to protect children who were at risk. In order to increase the effectiveness of the Railway Protection Force’s efforts, the MoWCD will write letters to the state governments and district magistrates requesting that this unit be established in the train stations of the relevant states.
In order to improve the support system for underprivileged kids, Indian Railways and MoWCD announced plans to expand Child Help Desks (CHDs) at major train stations. There was also discussion of new projects and cooperative methods to protect women’s and children’s welfare on railroad property.
Saving the vulnerable:
“The welfare of India’s children is at the heart of the new SOP. This reflects the organization’s unwavering commitment to fostering a caring, protective environment throughout its vast railway network. As we address the urgent need for child protection on railway property, we are closely adhering to the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act,” said Director General of the RPF Shri. Manoj Yadava.
The SOP launch event was attended by senior officers from both ministries, including Mr Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, Mr Anil Malik, Secretary of MoWCD, and Mr Ravinder Goyal, Member Operations & Business Development, Railways Board.
