June 12 marks World Child Labour Day, a global observance that highlights the need to eliminate child labour and ensure education for all children.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourer.
Child labour exists in India notwithstanding the laudable provisions of the constitution and laws addressing Child labour. Despite the fact that a host of social economic and cultural factors is responsible for continuance of child labour.
The traditional and stereotype demand and supply factors including cheap and docile labour, poverty, illiteracy, indebtedness, unemployment and landlessness that contribute to the prevalence of child labour.
Child labour within the Indian Railways is a serious issue with children often found in need of care and protection on railway platforms and in moving passenger trains. It includes children working, living or even in conflict with law within the Railway System.
Railway Protection Force working within the Ministry of Railways has played crucial role in rescue of children. It includes child in contact with Railways encompasses any child (under 18) who is travelling, living, working or involved in any way with the Railway System including those in need of care and protection.
This includes unaccompanied children, missing or trafficked children, children separated from their families, those living at the Railway Station.
Further children engaged in begging, rag picking or forced into child labour on the railway platform and in trains.
RPF is undertaking a proactive role to make sure that its trains and station platform are not used by human trafficker for transporting children to be utilized as bonded labour for various reasons in different parts of the country.
The strong presence of RPF in trains, in Railway platforms has rescued 61,345 children under NANHE FARISTE (Rescue of children in need of care and protection) in last 5 years (2021 to April 2025) in which 19,412 were girls and 41933 were boys.
RPF has introduced a series of focused initiative in form of train escorting. Intelligence Network, CCTV coverage at platforms, including physical checking of platforms and trains which has resulted into rescue of children in need of care and protection (Boys and Girls) in different categories like run away, drug addict, destitute, kidnapped, left behind, missing, medical assistance, fallen down, mentally challenged including street children.
The Indian Railways is the primary transporter for the nation and therefore, is a major route for human traffickers for transportation. RPF personnel deployed at railway stations and trains are strategically positioned to intercept the trafficking before the victim reaches the destination and the exploitation starts.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) associated with Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF) has signed MOU with Railway Protection Force on 06.05.2022 with a mission to stop transportation of children for the purpose of bonded labour and to eliminate all forms of violence against children and to create a world where all children are free, safe and healthy and received quality education.
The BBA has been sharing information against child trafficking with RPF and assisting in rescue of trafficked victims mostly children along with arrest of traffickers.
RPF initiative has lead to the arrest of 649 HUMAN TRAFFICKERS across PAN INDIA with rescue of 2719 persons from being trafficked for various reasons in last 5 years (2021 to April 2025) with 2456 children, 263 male - female adults.
To safeguard vulnerable children nationwide, RAILWAY PROTECTION FORCE has set up more than 750 Anti-Human Trafficking Units and 135 Child Help Desks across the country.
Anti Human trafficking units are playing the crucial role in identification of children being trafficked and their subsequent rescue from Human traffickers.
To further strengthen the RPF role in rescuing of children, MoWCD announced expansion of Child Help Desks (CHDs) at 212 railway stations, strengthening the support network available to children in need. New initiative and collaborative strategies has ensured the well-being of both children and women within railway premises.
RPF "Our Mission: Prevent Child Trafficking on Trains," the Indian Railways reaffirmed its pledge to make railways safe travel experience for all. The revised SOP has provided new directions while dealing with the human traffickers and rehabilitation program for affected children.
The enhanced SOP reinforces Indian Railways commitment to prevent child exploitation and trafficking by providing a safety net for at-risk children who may have been separated from their families. In 2015 under Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act guidelines were issued and later updated in 2021, this SOP has now been further refined following MoWCD (Ministry of Women and Child Development) 2022 "Mission Vatsalya". Detailing the roles and responsibilities of RAILWAY PROTECTION FORCE and other Railway personnel to identify, assist, and document children until they are connected with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
With quite determination and resolute action, the Railway Protection Force has become a crucial player in the fight against child labour and trafficking. In fact, for many children, a railway station is no longer a transit point of despair it has become the place where freedom begins.
