{"id":11676,"date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/08-02-2022\/operation-aaht-to-curb-human-trafficking\/"},"modified":"2022-02-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T00:00:00","slug":"operation-aaht-to-curb-human-trafficking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/08-02-2022\/operation-aaht-to-curb-human-trafficking","title":{"rendered":"Operation AAHT to Curb Human Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"

In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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    Recently, Railway Protection Force has launched a nationwide operation named <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cOperation AAHT\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to curb <\/span><\/span><\/span>human trafficking<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Objectives and Need\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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      The <\/span><\/span><\/span>National Crime Records Bureau registers about 2,200 cases<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> of Human Trafficking cases on an average each year.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
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      The Indian Railways is the largest<\/span><\/span><\/span>, fastest and most reliable carrier<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> for suspects who trafficked scores of women and children.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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        The RPF personnel had a pan-India presence and were deployed in escorting trains to provide security to railway assets and passengers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
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        \u00a0As part of \u201cOperation AAHT ,the <\/span><\/span><\/span>RPF could act as a bridge cutting<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> across States to assist the local police in the mission to curb the menace.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        About Operation AAHT:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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          Under this , special teams will be deployed on all long-distance trains\/routes with a <\/span><\/span><\/span>focus on rescuing victims, <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>particularly <\/span><\/span><\/span>women and children, from the clutches of traffickers<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
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          The infrastructure and intelligence network of the <\/span><\/span><\/span>RPF could be utilised to collect, collate and analyse<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> clues on victims, source, route, destination, popular trains used by suspects, the identity of carriers\/agents, kingpins etc and shared with other law-enforcing agencies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
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          The <\/span><\/span><\/span>cyber cells would start patrolling <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>the web\/social media to look for digital footprints of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Human Trafficking to strengthen the intelligence machinery <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and the action plan to identify, investigate, rescue and rehabilitate victims of the offence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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            The focus should be more on trains originating from districts bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            What is Human Trafficking?<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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            • It is the <\/span><\/span><\/span>recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
            • Men, women and children <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>of all ages and from all backgrounds can become <\/span><\/span><\/span>victims of this crime,<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> which occurs in every region of the world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
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              Human Trafficking, especially of <\/span><\/span><\/span>women and children, for sexual exploitation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, forced marriage, domestic servitude, organ transplant, drug peddling etc is an <\/span><\/span><\/span>organised crime and the most abominable violation of human rights.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
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              Thousands of Indians and persons from neighbouring<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> countries were trafficked every day to some destinations where they were forced to live like slaves. \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
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              They are also being trafficked for illegal adoptions, organ transplants, working in circuses, begging and entertainment industry\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
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              • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Safeguards available in India<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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                • The problem of trafficking in human beings by the Government of India is reflected in various legal provisions to counter-trafficking provisions:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                  • As enshrined in the Indian Constitution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                    • Article 23(1): <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>It prohibits the trafficking of persons.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                    • Article 24 <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>(Right Against Exploitation) of the Constitution of India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                    • IPC:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                      • Sections 366(A)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>of the Indian Penal Code:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Prohibits kidnapping and Section 372 of IPC prohibits selling minors into prostitution.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                      • Legislations:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                        • Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA): <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>It aims to stop immoral trafficking and prostitution in India and is divided into 25 sections and one schedule.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                        • Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, Child Labour (Prohibition and Abolition) Act 1986\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                        • Juvenile Justice Act: All of these prohibit bonded and forced labour.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                        • Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012: It is a special law to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                        • Other Specific Legislation:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                          • Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                          • Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                          • Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                          • Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                          • Specific Sections in the IPC, like Sections 372 and 373 deal with the selling and buying of girls for the purpose of prostitution.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                          • Steps by State Governments:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                            • States have also enacted specific legislation to deal with the issue, like the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Other related Initiatives<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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                              • Anti Trafficking Cell (ATC):<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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                                • It was set up in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in 2006 to act as a focal point for communicating various decisions and follow up on action taken by the State Governments to combat the crime of Human Trafficking.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                                  • Women help desks<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> were established in 10,000 police stations across the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • MHA under a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Comprehensive Scheme Strengthening law<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> enforcement response in India against Trafficking in Persons through Training and Capacity Building has released funds for the establishment of Anti Human Trafficking Units for 270 districts of the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Strengthening the capacity building:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n