REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (C) No.51 OF 2006

Bachpan Bachao Andolan   … Petitioner

Versus

Union of India & Others              … Respondents

J U D G M E N T

Dalveer Bhandari, J.

1. This  petition has been filed in public  interest  under  

Article  32  of  the  Constitution  in  the  wake  of  serious  

violations and abuse of children who are forcefully detained  

in circuses, in many instances, without any access to their  

families  under  extreme  inhuman  conditions.   There  are  

instances of sexual abuse on a daily basis, physical abuse  

as well  as emotional abuse.  The children are deprived of  

basic human needs of food and water.

2. It is stated in the petition that the petitioner has filed  

this  petition  following  a  series  of  incidents  where  the  

petitioner  came  in  contact  with  many  children  who were

trafficked into performing in circuses.  The petitioner found  

that  circus  is  one  of  the  ancient  forms  of  indigenous  

entertainment in the world,  with humans having a major  

role to play.  However, the activities that are undertaken in  

these circuses deprive the artists especially children of their  

basic fundamental rights.  Most of them are trafficked from  

some  poverty-stricken  areas  of  Nepal  as  well  as  from  

backward  districts  of  India.   The  outside  world  has  no  

meaning  for  them.   There  is  no  life  beyond  the  circus  

campus.   Once  they  enter  into  the  circuses,  they  are  

confined to the circus arena, with no freedom of mobility  

and choice.  They are entrapped into the world of circuses  

for  the  rest  of  their  lives,  leading  a  vagrant  tunnelled  

existence away from the hub of society, which is tiresome,  

claustrophobic and dependent on vicissitudes.  

3. It is submitted that the petitioner is engaged in a social  

movement for the emancipation of children in exploitative  

labour, bondage and servitude.  Bachpan Bachao Andolan  

has  been able  to  liberate  thousands  of  children with  the  

help of the judiciary and the executive as well as through  

persuasion, social mobilization and education.

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4. It  is  submitted  that  for  the  first  time  the  petitioner  

came to know about the plight of children in Indian circuses  

way back in 1996.  At that time, the petitioner had rescued  

18  girls  from  a  circus  performing  in  Vidisha  District  of  

Madhya Pradesh.  This was possible after a complaint made  

by  a  12  year  old  girl,  who  managed  to  escape  from the  

circus premises.  Her complaint was that she and several  

other Nepalese girls had been trafficked and forced to stay  

and perform in the circus where they were being sexually  

abused and were kept in most inhuman conditions.

5. Following  this  incident,  an  organised  attempt  was  

made by the petitioner to understand and learn more about  

the problem of child labour in Indian Circuses and how to  

eradicate  the  same.   This  began  in  July  2002  with  the  

initiation of  a research on the problem of child labour in  

Indian  circuses.   The  findings  in  the  abovementioned  

research  were  compiled  in  a  report  termed  “Eliminating  

Child Labour from Indian Circuses”.    

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6. Once all the above facts and figures were established,  

the  petitioner  decided  to  implement  a  multi-pronged  

strategy to eradicate the practice of employing children in  

Indian circuses.  Simultaneously, preparations were made  

to put across the problem in front of circus owners to make  

them aware of the moral and legal questions pertaining to  

the use of children in circuses.  The petitioner initiated a  

dialogue with all the major circus owners and appealed to  

them to stop trafficking, bondage, Child labour and other  

violations of child rights.  The Indian Circus Federation (for  

short ‘I.C.F.’)  responded positively but ironically this body  

has a very thin representation from the circus industry with  

approximately  less  than  10%  of  the  big  circuses  and  

probably less than 20% of all the circuses were members of  

this Federation.

7. It is submitted that the petitioner convened a meeting  

with the circus owners on the 18th and 19th August, 2003  

where a few owners under the umbrella of I.C.F. agreed to  

make a declaration that  there shall  be  no further  use of  

children  in  the  circuses  in  India  and  a  full  list  of  the  

children employed by them will be provided to the petitioner  

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and that they would voluntarily phase out all the children  

from their circuses in a time bound manner.  It was also  

decided  that  the  petitioner  and  its  partner  Non-

Governmental Organizations (for short, NGOs) in Nepal will  

help in repatriation and rehabilitation of liberated children.

8. The petitioner submitted that since the I.C.F. does not  

have  enough  influence  even  on  its  own  members,  the  

agreement did not get implemented.  However, the petitioner  

kept on receiving information and complaints from several  

parents through the NGOs working in Nepal.  The petitioner  

sent  the  staff  of  his  organization  to  cross-check  and  

reconfirm  the  facts  in  Bhairawa,  Hetauda  in  Nepal  and  

Siliguri  in  India  and  found  that  organized  crime  of  

trafficking of children for Indian circuses, particularly from  

Nepal  is  rampant.   In  February  and  March,  2004,  the  

petitioner received complaints from many Nepalese parents  

whose children have been trapped in circuses for more than  

10 years and had never been allowed to meet them on one  

pretext  or  the  other  even  after  repeated  requests  to  the  

circus  owners.   Majority  of  the  complaints  were  for  the  

children in the Great Indian circus (a non-federation circus)  

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which  was  found  to  be  located  in  Palakkad,  Kerala.   In  

June, 2004, the petitioner came to know through credible  

NGOs and individuals working in Hetauda, Nepal that the  

daughters  of  11  parents  were  trapped  into  Great  Roman  

Circus in India.  The petitioner has since then conducted  

several studies and interviews with various people who are  

engaged in circus.

9. The petitioner further found that life of these children  

begins at dawn with training instructors’ shouting abuses,  

merciless beatings and two biscuits and a cup of tea.  After  

3 to 5 shows and of lot of pervert comments of the crowds,  

the young girls are allowed to go back to their tents around  

midnight.   Even  then,  life  might  have  something  else  in  

store, depending upon the nature and mood swings of the  

circus owners and managers.  If any child complains about  

the inadequate amount of food or the leaking tent in the  

rain or if a child is scared on the rope while performing the  

trapeze, he/she is scolded and maltreated by the managers  

or employers and sometimes even caned on one pretext or  

the other.

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10. There are no labour or any welfare laws, which protect  

the  rights  of  these  children.  Children  are  frequently  

physically, emotionally and sexually abused in these places.  

The  most  appalling  aspect  is  that  there  is  no  direct  

legislation,  which  is  vested  with  powers  to  deal  with  the  

problems  of  the  children  who  are  trafficked  into  these  

circuses.  The Police, Labour Department or any other State  

Agency is not prepared to deal with the issue of trafficking  

of girls from Nepal holding them in bondage and unlawful  

confinement.   There  is  perpetual  sexual  harassment,  

violation of  the Juvenile  Justice  Act  and all  International  

treaties  and  Conventions  related  to  Human  Rights  and  

Child Rights where India is a signatory.  

11. The petitioner submitted that this Court in the case of  

N.R. Nair & Others v. Union of India & Others (2001) 6  

SCC 84 upheld the rights of animals who are being made to  

perform in these circuses after understanding their plight.  

The situation of children in circuses is no different if  not  

worse.   

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12. The petitioner has made various attempts to regulate  

and improve the conditions of children in circuses including  

engaging the circus owners association.   However, none of  

them  have  derived  good  results.   It  is  categorically  

submitted that the petitioner does not want the circuses to  

be completely  banned or prohibited but there is  a  strong  

need  to  regulate  this  as  any  other  industry  including  

ensuring  safety  and other   welfare  measures  of  all  those  

who  are  working  in  circuses,   particularly  the  children.  

Almost  all  the  circuses  employ  at  least  50  persons  and  

therefore a large number of labour laws should be applied.

13. The petitioner seeks application of the provisions of the  

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000  

and  also  suggests  that  intra-state  trafficking  of  young  

children, their bondage and forcible confinements, regular  

sexual harassment and abuses should be made cognizable  

offences  under  the  Indian  Penal  Code  as  well  as  under  

section 31 of  the  Juvenile  Justice  Act.   Children Welfare  

Committees under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection  

of  Children)  Act,  2000  should  be  empowered  to  award  

compensation to all those victims rescued from the circuses  

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with  a  time bound rehabilitation  packages  and the  State  

Government to create a fund of the same.  

14. Mostly,  these children are sold to the circus owners  

either by the agents or their relatives or sometimes the poor  

parents are lured into the web by promising high salaries,  

luxurious life etc.   However, some exceptional circuses were  

also found (only 4) that treated their employees marginally  

better  and  allowed  them  to  avail  the  privilege  of  limited  

movement outside the circus campus for limited time, but  

child  labour  was prevalent  in  these  circuses  as  well  and  

artists were not given minimum wages.

15. The  petitioner  has  complained  about  living  and  

working conditions of the children and has enumerated the  

following broad categories which are setout as under:

i. Insufficient Space

In almost all the circuses visited by the research team,  

the  living  conditions  were  quite  similar,  but  

nonetheless  deplorable.   There  are  separate  sleeping  

arrangements  for  males  and  females,  with  the  

Company Girls segregated from the rest of the circus  

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troupe by a boundary.  There are also separate tents  

for the families working in the circuses. Usually 5 to10  

and sometimes even more people are crammed into a  

single tent, thus most of the child artists complain of  

insufficient  space  and  lack  of  personal  space  and  

privacy.

ii) Meals

Most of  the circuses provide two meals  -  lunch and  

dinner to the artists and tea also two times from the  

canteen run by the management.   The quantity and  

quality  of  the  food  is  variable,  depending  on  the  

management.  Most  often,  the  food  is  inadequate  to  

satisfy the appetite of young growing children.

iii) Sleep Timings

Sleep timings are also very erratic, depending upon the  

nature  of  the  work  being  performed  by  the  child  

artists, though on a general trend most go to bed at  

midnight after the last show is over, to be woken up at  

dawn for practise.

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iv) Poor Sanitation

There are no proper toilets and bathrooms.  Make-shift  

toilets are created on the circus ground near the tents  

and  all  the  company  girls  have  to  share  it  and  the  

stench  around  them  is  unbearable.  In  general,  

condition of sanitation in circuses is most pathetic.  It  

also precipitates unhygienic conditions that could lead  

to  diseases.   Invariably  all  the  artists  voiced  their  

dissatisfaction on the issue of sanitation and hygiene.  

v) No Health Care Personnel

Another important issue concerning the artists is the  

lack  of  any  health  care  personnel  to  look  into  their  

day-to-day health care needs as well as the accidents  

that are so common in the circuses.  The manger or  

the  keeper  usually  provides  medication  for  common  

ailments  such as  fever,  cold  etc.  and looks into  the  

first-aid needs of  the artists.   For a serious medical  

condition  or  an  accident  during  training  or  

performance,  the  trainer  or  the  manager  usually  

accompanies the patient to the nearest medical help.  

The management bears the charges of the treatment  

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during that time, but later deducts it from the salary of  

the incumbent.  However, some managements do bear  

the medical bill of the artists if a mishap occurs during  

the performance or training.

Overall, it can be said that the living conditions inside  

the  premises  of  the  circus  arena  are  squalid  and  

deplorable, with no facilities and basic amenities being  

provided  to  the  circus  artists,  not  even  proper  

sanitation.

vi) High Risk Factor

Nature of the activities in circuses is such that the risk  

factor  for  the  artists  is  very  high  as  accidents  and  

mishaps  during  practise  sessions  and  shows  are  

common phenomenon.  On top of that, there are no  

health care personnel employed by the circuses to look  

into the health care needs of the artists, even at the  

time of emergency.  It was found that the lives of the  

children  was  endangered  due  to  the  risk  factor  

involved  in  the  circuses,  especially  those  who  were  

involved  in  items  like  ring  of  death,  well  of  death,  

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sword items, rope dance etc.  They constituted 10% of  

the  total  number  of  children.   Rest  60% fell  in  the  

medium risk category while 30% were not involved in  

any risky items.  Moreover, some circuses either fail to  

or  are  ignorant  about  taking  the  necessary  

precautions, which further heightens the risk involved.  

In fact, the research team witnessed an accident while  

visiting one of the circuses.  

vii) Remuneration

Besides  paying  meagre  salaries  to  the  children,  the  

management of some circuses holds back the salaries  

of the children saying that they would be paid only to  

their  parents  when  they  visit  them,  which  rarely  

happens.  Salary accounts are often manipulated and  

the  loss  due  to  accidents  or  mishaps  is  not  

compensated.

viii) Bound by Contract

The  child  artists  are  brought  to  the  circuses  to  be  

contracted for 3 to 10 years and once the contract is  

signed/agreed upon by the parents or guardians of the  

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children, these young ignorant children are bound and  

indebted to the circus management and are unable to  

break  away  from  the  circus,  even  if  they  are  

discontented with their lives in the circus.  

ix) Daily Routine hindering their All-round  Development

In the circus, their daily routine starts with practising  

even  before  the  sunrise  (rigorous  training  session  

initially) mostly accompanied with verbal and physical  

abuse and harsh physical  punishments at times, for  

the slightest error or no error at all. From afternoon  

onwards  until  midnight,  they  are  on  the  stage,  

performing  and  enthralling  the  audience  with  their  

vivacity and wit.  They cannot share their agony and  

grievances or raise their voice against the torturous life  

they  are  forced  to  lead.   For  them,  there  is  no  

education,  no  play,  no  recreation  and  their  life  is  

confined to the circuses without any exposure to the  

outside world.  All this prohibits them from knowing  

the other opportunities available, as they are aware of  

and are exposed to just one aspect of life, that is the  

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aspect they see in the circuses they work in.  Due to  

the cruel and inhuman attitude of the management in  

some  circuses,  which  imposes  restrictions  on  the  

children for meeting their  folks,  and also due to the  

traveling nature of the troupe, most of the children end  

up losing contact with their parents, especially those  

across  the  border  or  residing  at  far  off  places  even  

within the country.  And those fortunate few, who get a  

chance to meet their  parents,  do so once or twice a  

year, either when their parents visit or when they are  

allowed to go home.  Consequently, they are exposed to  

a  world  which  hinders  their  psychological,  spiritual  

and socio-economic development, with no knowledge of  

their rights, duties and scope for a better future and  

thus,  are  left  with  no  other  option  but  to  continue  

working  in  the  circuses  for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  

Instability  in  life,  due  to  the  circus’s  nomadic  

existence, makes it difficult for them to pursue formal  

education,  resulting  in  a  large  number  of  illiterate  

children and adults in circuses.  

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16. The  employment  of  the  children  in  circus  involves  

many  legal  complications  and  in  that  respect  major  

complications are as under:

1. Deprivation  of  the  children  from  getting  

educated thereby violates their fundamental  

right for education enshrined under Article  

21A of the Constitution.

2. Deprivation  of  the  child  from  playing  and  

expression of thoughts and feelings, thereby  

violating the fundamental right to freedom of  

expression.

3. Competency  to  enter  into  contract  for  

working in circus.

4. Violation of statutory provisions of law like  

Employment  of  Children’s  Act,  1938,  The  

Children (Placing of Labour) Act, 1933, The  

Child  Labour  (Prohibition  and  Regulation)  

Act, 1986, Minimum Wages Act, 1976, The  

Prevention  of  Immoral  Traffic  Act,  Equal  

Remuneration  Act,  1976  and  Rules  made  

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thereunder and the Bonded Labour System  

(abolition)  Act,  1976 read with rules  made  

their under, the Factories Act, 1948, Motor  

Transport Workers Act, 1961 etc.  

5. Existing  labour  laws  and  legitimacy  of  

contracts of employment for children.

6. The  legitimacy  of  contracts  of  employment  

for children and working conditions.

17. The petitioner has given innumerable instances in the  

petition  of  abuse  of  children  in  the  circuses.   All  those  

instances demonstrate under what horrible and inhumane  

conditions the children have to perform in the circuses.

18. The experiences of the petitioner are only a scratch on  

the  surface  and  there  are  many  children  who  are  being  

trafficked regularly into circuses.  While it is not the case of  

the  petitioner  that  circuses  should  be  completely  banned  

and prohibited,  there is a strong need to regulate this as  

any  other  industry  including  ensuring  safety  gears  and  

other measures as are done in other countries.

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19. The petitioner has filed the petition with the following  

prayers:

1. Issue  a  writ  of  mandamus  or  any  other  appropriate  writ,  order  or  direction,  directing  the  respondents  to  frame  appropriate  guidelines  for  the  persons  engaged in circuses;

2. Issue  a  writ  of  mandamus  or  any  other  appropriate writ, order or direction directing  the  respondents  to  conduct  simultaneous  raids in all  the circuses by CBI to liberate  the children and to check the gross violation  of all fundamental rights of the children;

3. Issue  a  writ  of  mandamus  or  any  other  appropriate  writ  order  or  direction  to  appoint  special  forces  in  the  borders  to  ensure  action  and  to  check  on  the  cross  border trafficking;

4. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other writ  order or direction applying the provisions of  the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of  Children)  Act,  2000  and  make  intra-state  trafficking of young children, their bondage  and  forcible  confinements,  regular  sexual  harassments and abuses cognizable offences  under  the  Indian  Penal  Code  as  well  as  under section 31 of the Juvenile Justice Act.  

5. Issue  a  writ  of  mandamus  or  any  other  appropriate  writ  order  or  direction  to  empower child welfare committee under the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and  Protection  of  Children) Act, 2000 to award compensation  may be awarded to all those victims rescued  from  the  circuses  with  a  time  bound  rehabilitation  package  and  the  State  Government to create a fund for the same;

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6. Issue  a  writ  of  mandamus  or  any  other  appropriate writ order or direction to lay out  a  clear  set  of  guidelines  prohibiting  the  employment/engagement  of  children  up to  the  age  of  18  years  in  any  form  in  the  circuses.  

20. This  court  issued notices  to the Union of  India and  

other States and Union Territories.  Replies have been filed  

on behalf of various States and the Union Territories.  

21. Shri  Gopal  Subramanium,  the  learned  Solicitor  

General  appearing for the Union of India has filed written  

submissions with the heading “The Indian Child :  India’s  

Eternal Hope and Future”.    

22. Learned Solicitor General has broadened the scope of  

this  petition  and  has  tried  to  deal  with  the  problem  of  

children trafficking.  He submitted that:

1. Trafficking  in  human  beings  is  not  a  new  

phenomenon.  Women, children and men have been  

captured,  bought  and  sold  in  market  places  for  

centuries.   Human  trafficking  is  one  of  the  most  

lucrative criminal activities.  Estimates of the United  

Nations  state  that  1  to  4  million  people  are  

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trafficked  worldwide  each  year.   Trafficking  in  

women and children is an operation which is worth  

more  than  $  10  billion  annually.   The  NHRC  

Committee  on  Missing  Children  has  the  following  

statistics to offer:-

a. 12.6  million  (Governmental  sources) to 100 million (unofficial  sources) stated to be child labour;

b. 44,000  children  are  reported  missing  annually,  of  which  11,000 get traced;

c. About 200 girls and women enter  prostitution  daily,  of  which  20%  are below 15 years of age.

2. International  conventions  exist  to  punish  and  

suppress trafficking especially women and children.  

(Refer: UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish  

Trafficking in Persons also referred as the PALERMO  

Protocol on Trafficking).  Trafficking is now defined  

as  an  organized  crime  and  a  crime  against  

humanity.   The convention being an international  

convention is limited to cross border trafficking but  

does not address trafficking within the country.  The  

definition of trafficking is significant:-

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“ ….. The recruitment, transportation,  transfer,  harboring  or  receipt  of  persons by means of threat or use of  force  or  other  forms  of  coercion,  of  abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the  abuse  of  power  or  of  a  position  of  vulnerability  or  of  the  giving  or  receiving  of  payments  or  benefits  to  achieve the consent of a person having  control  over  another  person,  for  the  purpose of exploitation….”.

3. Exploitation  shall  include  at  a  minimum,  the  

exploitation  of  the  prostitutes  of  others  or  other  

forms  of  sexual  exploitation,  forced  labour  or  

service,  slavery  or  practices  similar  to  slavery,  

servitude or the removal of organs.

4. It is submitted that children under 18 years of age  

cannot give valid consent.  It  is further submitted  

that  any  recruitment,  transportation,  transfer,  

harbouring or receipt of children for the purpose of  

exploitation is a form of trafficking regardless of the  

means used.  Three significant elements constitute  

trafficking:-

a. The  action  involving  recruitment  and transportation;

b. The  means  employed  such  as  force, coercion, fraud or deception  

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including  abuse  of  power  and  bribes; and

c. The  purpose  being  exploitation  including prostitution.  

5. Internationally, there is a working definition of child  

trafficking.  The working definition is clear because  

it incorporates the above three elements.  In June  

2001, India has adopted the PALERMO Protocol to  

evolve its working definition of child trafficking.

6. The forms and purposes of child trafficking may be:-

a. Bonded labour;  

b. Domestic work;

c. Agricultural labour;

d. Employment  in  construction  activity;

e. Carpet industry;

f. Garment industry

g. Fish/Shrimp Export;

h. Other sites of work in the formal  and informal economy.

7. Trafficking can also be for illegal activities such as:-

a. Begging;

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b. Organ trade;

c. Drug peddling and smuggling;

8. Trafficking can be for sexual exploitation, i.e.

a. Forced prostitution;

b. Socially and religiously sanctified  forms of prostitution;

c. Sex tourism;

d. Pornography;

9. Child  trafficking  can  be  to  aid  entertainment  in  

sports:-

a. Circus/dance troupes;

b. Camel jockeying;

10.Trafficking  can  be  for  and  through  marriage.  

Trafficking can be for and through adoption.  It is  

submitted that intervention is possible in cases of  

child trafficking only if  fundamental  principles are  

kept in mind.  The fundamental principles are the  

following:-

a. The  child  has  to  perform to  the  best of his ability.  The growth of  a child to its potential fulfillment  is  the  fundamental  guarantee  of  civilization;

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b. Empathy for troubled children by  adopting  non-discriminatory  and  attitudes free of bias;

c. Children  must  be  protected  in  terms  of  well-being  under  all  circumstances;

d. Right to freedom from all forms of  exploitation  is  a  fundamental  right;

e. Confidentiality  of  the  child  in  respect of the child’s privacy must  be maintained;

f. Trafficking is an organized crime  which  could  have  multiple  partners including syndicates.

11.Intervention must be a joint initiative of government  

and non-governmental organizations which can be,  

in  some  cases,  potential  partners.   An  effective  

intervention  must  in  all  circumstances  lead  to  

effective  and enduring  protection  of  children  from  

exploitation, abuse and violence.

23. According to  the  Solicitor  General  it  is  the  bounden  

duty of the police to discharge its obligation.  He submitted  

that the following guidelines should be mandated:

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i. Care must be taken to ensure the confidentiality  of the child and due protection must be given to  her/him as a witness;

ii. The detailed interview of  the victim should be  done  preferably  by  crisis  intervention  centres/members  of  the  Child  Welfare  Committee  under  the  Juvenile  Justice  Act.  There should be adequate breaks and intervals  during the interview with a child victim;

iii. If the police employ a child friendly approach to  the entire investigation, the possibility of getting  all relevant information gets higher.  This can be  done by having a supportive environment for the  child at the police station wherein attention is  paid  to  his  needs.   This  can  be  done  at  the  police  station  itself  or  at  any  other  place  co- managed  by  police  any  NGO/CBO.   Support  persons for the child should be contacted and in  their  absence,  any  civil  society  group working  with/for children or members of CWC (whoever  the child feels comfortable with) could be asked  to the present;

iv. Due  care  must  be  maintained  to  attend  the  issues  like  interpreters,  translators,  record  maintaining  personnel,  audio-video  recording  possibilities etc.;

v. As far as possible, the same investigation officer  must follow up the case from investigation stage  to the trial stage;

vi. There should be provision of good and water as  well as toilet facilities for the child in the police  station and the hospital;

vii. No child should be kept in a Police Station;

viii. Where a special juvenile police unit or a police  officer has been designated to deal with crimes  

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against  children  and  crimes  committed  by  children,  cases  relating  to  children  must  be  reported by such officer to the Juvenile Justice  Board  or  the  child  welfare  committee  or  the  child line or an NGO as the case may be.

24. It is submitted that Articles 23, 39, 14 and 21 of the  

Constitution of India guarantee every child to be freed from  

exploitation  of  any  form.   Article  23  prohibits  traffic  in  

human beings, ‘beggar’ and other forms of forced labour.

25. Force,  assault,  confinement can be dealt  with under  

sections 319 to 329 for simple and grievous hurt, sections  

339 to 346 for wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement;  

sections 350 to 351 for criminal force and criminal assault;  

section  370  for  import,  export,  removal,  

disposing/accepting, receiving, detaining of any person as a  

slave; section 361 to 363 kidnapping and abduction; section  

365  for  kidnapping,  abduction  for  wrongful  confinement;  

section  367  for  kidnapping,  abduction  for  slavery  or  to  

subject a person to grievous injury; sections 41, 416, 420  

for fraud, cheating by personation; sections 465, 466, 468  

and 471 for forgery and using forged documents as genuine;  

section  503  and  506  for  criminal  intimidation.   It  is  

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submitted  that  a  direction  must  be  issued  to  the  

Commissioner of Police, Delhi and the State Governments  

and Union Territories that their police force are required to  

be  sensitized  to  the  above  provisions  while  dealing  with  

safety and freedom of children.

26. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)  

Act, 2000 was amended in 2006 by Act 33 of 2006. It is a  

special  legislation  for  children  and  defines  children as  ‘a  

person upto the age of 18 years’.  The Juvenile Justice Act  

is build upon a model which addresses both children who  

need care and those who are in conflict with law.  

27. According  to  the  learned  Solicitor  General,  the  Goa  

Children’s Act, 2003 must be viewed as a model legislation.  

He submitted that not only does it define child trafficking  

but also seeks to provide punishment for abuse and assault  

of children through child trafficking for different purposes  

such as labour, sale of body parts, organs, adoption, sexual  

offences of pedophilia, child prostitution, child pornography  

and child sex tourism.  All state authorities such as airport  

authorities, border police, railway police, traffic police, hotel  

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owners are made responsible under the law for protection of  

children and for reporting offences against children.  It is  

submitted  that  until  a  suitable  legislation  is  enacted,  

directions of a preventive nature may be issued against the  

police  authorities  in  all  States  to  protect  the  rights  of  

children.

28. Learned  Solicitor  General  submitted  that  there  is  

blatant  violation  of  Child  Labour  (Prohibition  and  

Regulation)  Act,  1986,  Children  Pledging  of  Labour  Act,  

1933, the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 1976, the  

Factories Act, 1948, the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, the  

Mines  Act,  1952,  the  Merchant  Shipping  Act,  1958,  the  

Apprentices Act,  1961,  the  Motor  Transport  Workers Act,  

1961,  the  Bidi  and  Cigar  Workers  (Conditions  of  

Employment)  Act,  1966,  the  West  Bengal  Shops  and  

Establishment Act, 1963.

29. Learned  Solicitor  General  submitted  that  each State  

Government must constitute committees for the purpose of  

preventing child labour.  It is submitted that there should  

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be  an  apex  committee  constituted  by  each  State  

Government with the following:

(a) The Chief Secretary of the State;

(b) Secretary  incharge  of  Child  and  Women  Development;

(c) Director of Health and Family Welfare;

(d) Commissioner of Police of the State;

(e) Two Psychiatrists to be nominated by the Indian  Psychiatric Society.

30. The State Government with the assistance of the said  

committee  by  a  transparent  process  will  constitute  

committees for  each district  consisting of  health workers,  

police personnel, factory inspectors and people from the civil  

society/NGO.  The committee  will  be able  to inspect  and  

determine whether there is forced employment of children.  

31. All  dhabas/restaurants  must  be  prohibited  from  

employing  children.   It  is  necessary  that  this  stipulation  

which already exists must be effectively enforced.

32. Learned  Solicitor  General  submitted  that  in  the  

Ministry  of  Family  Welfare  and  Child  Development,  a  

division needs to be created to deal with issues arising out  

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of dissemination of publications which are harmful to young  

persons,  publishing  pornographic  material  in  electronic  

form as well as the enforcement of section 293 of the Penal  

Code.  It is submitted that a further research study must be  

undertaken on the efficacy of the provisions of the Young  

Persons Harmful Publications Act, 1956, Section 67 of the  

Information Technology Act,  2000 and Section 293 of  the  

Penal Code.  

33. The Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994 makes  

removal of human organs without authority and commercial  

dealing in human organs criminally liable.

34. In a brilliant study undertaken by the Government of  

Indian  in  coordination  with  UNICEF,  areas  relating  to  

trafficking have been acknowledged.   It  is  submitted that  

the  central  government  acknowledges  the  increasing  

prevalence  of  trafficking  for  the  purpose  of  commercial  

sexual exploitation of children.  In a study1 published by the  

Department of women and child development,  Ministry of  

1  Rescue and Rehabilitation of Child Victims Trafficked for Commercial Sexual Exploitation, a Report  by UNICEF.

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Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, the objectives  

were:-

a) To  obtain  a  better  understanding  of  rescue and rehabilitation processes;

b) To  gain  a  more  complete  understanding  of  the  involvement  of  the  state,  the  judiciary,  law  enforcement  agencies,  and  NGOs  engaged in rescue and rehabilitation;

c) To make recommendations on the need  for  developing  guidelines  for  rescue  and  rehabilitation.   These  guidelines  should  represent  a  common  denominator  of  nationally  agreed  standards in this area as well as take  regional variations into account.

The following statistics are alarming:-

i) There are an estimated two million children,  aged  between  5  and  15,  forced  into  CSE  around the world;

ii) Girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years  are most vulnerable;

iii) 15% of commercial sexual workers in India  are believed to  be below 15 years old and  25% are estimated to be between the ages of  15 and 18;

iv) 500,000 children worldwide are forced into  this profession every year.

35. It is submitted that the report dealt with cross border  

trafficking in the following way:-

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“Research  on  cross-border  trafficking  has  indicated that 5000-7000 young Nepali girls were  trafficked into India annually.  This research also  highlighted the fact that in the last decade, the  average  age  of  the  trafficked  girl  has  steadily  fallen  from  14  to  16  years  to  10  to  14  years.  These  findings  are  supported  by  studies  conducted  by  Human  Rights  Watch  –  Asia  in  1995, which stated that the average age of Nepali  girls trafficked into India dropped from 14 to 16  years  in  the  1980s  to  10  to  14  years  in  1991  despite  the  introduction  of  laws  designed  to  combat  trafficking  of  minors.   Ghosh’s  study  estimated that Nepali children constitute 20 per  cent  (40,000)  of  the  approximately  2,00,000  Nepalese  commercial  sexual  workers  in  India.  Young  girls  are  trafficked  from  economically  depressed  neighbourhoods  in  Nepal  and  Bangladesh to the major prostitution centres in  Delhi,  Mumbai  and  Calcutta.   Social  workers  have reported encountering children as young as  nine  in  Kamathipura,  a  red  light  area  in  Mumbai.”

36. The promise of marriage, employment is often used for  

luring young children into sexual  trade.   The report  also  

talks about the trafficking of children in urban brothels and  

the regional variations. The report describes how trafficking  

is undertaken.

37. Trafficking  in  women  and  children  has  become  an  

increasingly lucrative business especially since the risk of  

being prosecuted is vey low.  Women and children do not  

usually  come  to  the  brothels  on  their  own  will,  but  are  

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brought  through  highly  systematic,  organized  and  illegal  

trafficking  networks  run  by  experienced  individuals  who  

buy,  transport  and  sell  children  into  prostitution.  

Traffickers  tend  to  work  in  groups  and  children  being  

trafficked  often  change  hands  to  ensure  that  neither  the  

trafficker nor the child gets caught during transit.  Different  

groups of traffickers include gang members, police, pimps  

and even politicians,  all  working as a nexus.   Trafficking  

networks are well organized and have linkages both within  

the  country  and  in  the  neighbouring  countries.   Most  

traffickers are men.  The role of women in this business is  

restricted to recruitment at the brothels.

38. The  typical  profile  of  a  trafficker  is  a  man  in  his  

twenties or thirties or a woman in her thirties or forties who  

have travelled the route to the city several times and know  

the  hotels  to  stay  in  and  the  brokers  to  contact.   They  

frequently work in groups of two or more.  Male and female  

traffickers are sometimes referred to as dalals and dalalis  

(commission agents) respectively and are either employed by  

a brothel  owner directly  or  operate  independently.   Often  

collusion  of  family  members  forms  an  integral  part  of  

33

trafficking with uncles,  cousins and stepfathers acting as  

trafficking agents.   In March, 1994 Human Rights Watch  

Asia interviewed several trafficked victims of whom six were  

trafficked into India from Nepal with the help of close family  

friends or relatives.  In each case, the victim complained of  

deception.

39. The  Suppression  of  Immoral  Trafficking  Act  was  

enacted after the Geneva Convention on Immoral Trafficking  

of Women and Children was signed by India in 1956.  In  

order  to  have  data  on  the  success  of  rehabilitation  

strategies,  delivery  points  in  rehabilitation  strategy  would  

have to be strengthened as would be seen in the later parts  

of this report.  It is submitted that a trafficker never blows  

the  gaff.   It  is  done  in  silence  and  quiet.   It  becomes  

necessary to involve police  authorities  by means of  acute  

sensitization to a realm of illegality.   Therefore, there has to  

be  a  special  initiative  taken  by  police  with  reference  to  

children.

40. The Central Government has evolved the national plan  

of  action  to  combat  trafficking  and  commercial  sexual  

exploitation of women and children in 1998.

34

41. It is submitted that there has now been a very careful  

realization that the plan for rescue and rehabilitation must  

be through a conceptual map.  The said map gives a very  

good indication of  the  initiatives  and possibly  its  positive  

and negative outcomes.  

42. Learned Solicitor General submitted that a trafficked  

child  can  be  brought  before  the  Magistrate  under  two  

circumstances:

a) when the raid/search or removal takes  place by a police action under section  15 of the ITPA or when the Magistrate  herself/himself passes rescue orders;

b) the trafficked child can also be brought  before  the  Magistrate  as  an  accused  under section 8A and 8B of the ITPA.

The following directions are necessary:-

a. Every  Magistrate  before  whom  a  child  is  brought must be conscious of the provisions  of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection  of Children) Act, 2000;

b. He must find out whether the child is below  the age of 18 years;

c. If it is so, he cannot be accused of an offence  under section 7 or 8 of ITPA;

35

d. The  child  will  then  have  to  be  protected  under Juvenile Justice Authority;

e. The  Magistrate  has  a  responsibility  to  ascertain  and  confirm  that  the  person  produced  before  her  or  him is  a  child  by  accurate medical examination;

f. The definition of a child in section 2K means  a juvenile or a child as a person who has not  completed 18 years of age;

g. Once the age test  is  passed under section  17(2)  establishes  that  the  child  is  a  child/minor less than 18 years of age, the  Magistrate/Sessions  Judge  while  framing  charges  must  also  take  into  account  whether any offences have been committed  under sections 342, 366, 366A, 366B, 367,  368, 370, 371, 372, 373, 375 and if so, he  or she must also frame charges additionally;

h. The child should be considered as a child in  the protection of the Child Welfare Act.

i. The  child  should  be  handed  over  to  the  Child Welfare Committee to take care of the  child.  The performance of the Child Welfare  Committees must be reviewed by the High  Court  with  a  committee  of  not  less  than  three Hon’ble Judges and two psychiatrists;

j. A  child  must  not  be  charged  with  any  offence under the ITPA or IPC;

k. A minor trafficked victim must be classified  as a child  in need of  care  and protection.  Further, the Magistrate must also order for  intermediate custody of minor under section  17(3) of the ITPA, 1956;

36

l. There should not be any joint proceedings of  a juvenile and a person who is not a juvenile  on  account  of  section  18  of  the  Juvenile  Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2002;

m. It is necessary that Courts must be directed  that the same lawyer must not represent the  trafficker as well as the trafficked minor;

n. Evidence  of  child  should  be  taken  in  camera.  Courts must protect the dignity of  children.  The children’s best interest should  be the priority.

43. Learned Solicitor General submitted that Child Welfare  

Committees are empowered committees under section 31(1)  

of  the  Juvenile  Justice  Act.   However,  the  standards  

employed by the Child Welfare Committees are not the same  

across the country.  In order to set up uniform standards,  

the direction relating to review of Child Welfare Committees  

must  be  re-examined.   All  Superintendents  of  Jail  must  

report upon a review within 15 days from today whether any  

person who is a child is in custody of the jail, if so, the said  

person must be produced immediately before the Magistrate  

empowered to try offences under the Juvenile Justice (Care  

and protection) Act, 2000.  The said Magistrate must set out  

a report in relation to the circumstances under which such  

a child has been lodged in jail to the Chief Justice of the  

37

concerned  High  Court.   Thereafter  the  High  Court  may  

forward a  report  to  this  Court  for  passing of  appropriate  

orders in relation to the welfare of the child.

44. Learned Solicitor General submitted that the power of  

rehabilitation  is  necessary.   The  said  power  has  been  

conferred under section 33(3) of the Juvenile Justice (Care  

and  Protection)  Act,  2000.   The  said  provision  provides  

that:-

“…..  After  the  completion  of  the  enquiry  if  the  Committee is  of the opinion that the said child  has no family or ostensible support, it may allow  the  child  to  remain  in  the  children’s  home  or  shelter home till  suitable rehabilitation is found  for him or till he attains the age of 18 years….”.

45. It is further submitted that rehabilitation will  be the  

measure  of  success  of  the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and  

Protection) Act, 2000.  Reintegration into society by means  

of confident and assertive occupations leading to a sense of  

self-worth will have to be devised.  This requires innovative  

strategies  and  not  any  high  flown  claims  to  social  

development.

46. The Juvenile Welfare Board will have no competence to  

deal with cases of children who are in prostitution or have  

38

been  trafficked.   Such  children  are  to  be  considered  as  

children in need of care and protection.  However, in states  

where  the  Child  Welfare  committees  have  not  been  

constituted,  these  matters  should  be  referred  to  the  

Juvenile Welfare Board.  It is submitted that the book on  

Trafficking  in  Women  and  Children  in  India  edited  by  

Shanker  Sen  along  with  P.M.  Nair,  IPS  is  a  useful  

document.  In a report called “Abolition of Child Labour in  

India” submitted by the NCPCR to the planning commission,  

certain useful perspectives are to be found.

47. It is submitted that India is home to 19% of world’s  

children.  More than one-third of the country’s population  

around 440 million is below 18 years.  India’s children are  

India’s future.  They are the harbingers of growth, potential  

fulfillment, change, dynamism, innovation, creativity.  It is  

necessary  that  for  a  healthy  future,  we  must  protect,  

educate  and  develop  the  child  population  so  that  their  

citizenry  is  productive.  Resources  must  be  invested  in  

children proportionate to their huge population.

48. As far as the total  expenditure on children in 2005-

2006 is concerned, it was 3.86% and in 2006-2007 it was  

39

increased to 4.91%.  It is highly inadequate looking to the  

population of children.

49. In a report submitted by the Ministry of Women and  

Child  Development,  40%  of  India’s  children  have  been  

declared  to  be  vulnerable  or  experiencing  difficult  

circumstances.   They  are  entitled  to  special  protection  

under  Articles  14,  15,  16,  17,  21,  23  and  24  of  the  

Constitution.  The  concerns  of  child  and  the  paradigm of  

child  rights  have  been  addressed  suitably  in  various  

international conventions and standards on child protection  

including  the  UN Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child  

(UNCRC), 1989, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the  

Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), 1985,  

the  UN Rules  for  the  Protection  of  Juveniles  Deprived of  

their Liberty, 1990, the Hague Convention on Inter Country  

Adoption, 1993.  India has ratified the UN Convention on  

the Rights of the Child in 1992.  The Convention inter alia  

prescribes standards to be adhered by all  state parties in  

securing the best interest of the child.

40

50. Learned  Solicitor  General  submitted  that  the  

millennium  development  goals  cannot  be  secured  unless  

child  protection  is  an  integral  part  of  programmes,  

strategies  and  plans  for  their  achievement.   The  newly  

constituted Ministry of Women and Child Development has  

rightly remarked that child protection is an essential part of  

the country’s strategy to place ‘Development of the child at  

the Centre of the 11th Plan’.  The National Plan of Action for  

Children articulates a rights agenda for the development of  

children.

51. Learned Solicitor  General  further  submitted that the  

existing  child  protection  mechanisms  have  to  be  first  

noticed.   The  delivery  points  however  need  to  be  

strengthened.  To review the delivery of these programmes,  

there must be nodal agencies.  Points of responsibility have  

to  be  identified  and  strengthened.   The  programme  for  

juvenile  justice  is  to  enable children in need of  care  and  

protection and those in conflict with law to be secured.  The  

central  governments  provide  financial  assistance  to  the  

state  governments/UT  administrations  for  establishment  

and maintenance of various homes, salary of staff, food, and  

41

clothing  for  children  in  need  of  care  and  protection  of  

juveniles in conflict with law.  Financial assistance is based  

on proposals submitted by States on a 50:50 cost sharing  

basis.   

52. It is submitted by the learned Solicitor General that in  

order to give effect to the programme for juvenile justice, it  

is necessary that nodal points have to be identified.  The  

child  welfare  committee  is  one  such  body,  but  it  is  

necessary that the working of the child welfare committee  

must be overseen by either the Executive Chairman of the  

Legal Services Authority or by the High Court itself.   It is  

also necessary that the financial assistance being provided  

for children in need and care must result in tangible results  

to the children whose future is sought to be rehabilitated.  

For that purpose, it is appropriate that a Court monitored  

mechanism  is  established.   For  every  juvenile  home,  a  

District Judge or a Judge nominated by the Chief Justice of  

the High Court should be a visitor.  There must be periodic  

internal reports which are given to the High Court and just  

as in case of prisons, juvenile homes must be monitored by  

42

courts  and  their  living  conditions  must  also  be  carefully  

examined.  

53. It  is  also submitted by the learned Solicitor  General  

that the point of responsibility for overseeing the conditions  

in the juvenile  home must also be shared by the District  

Magistrate of each district.  It is necessary that there should  

be dual reporting – one to the Judicial Section of the High  

Court; and the other to the District Magistracy and onwards  

to  the  State  Government.   Each  State  Government  must  

open  a  Juvenile  Justice  Cell  which  will  receive  periodic  

reports  of  juvenile  homes,  the  number  of  children,  the  

status  of  children,  the  manner  of  rehabilitation  and  the  

current  status.   The State  Government  must  also  ensure  

that  therapeutic  help  as  well  as  psychiatric  assistance  

wherever  necessary  is  offered  to  the  juveniles  on  a  top  

priority basis.  District Collectors must submit their reports  

to the Secretary of the Department concerned who in turn  

must  report  to  the  Chief  Secretary.   The  Chief  Secretary  

must be constructively responsible for the administration of  

the programme for juvenile justice and also must supervise  

the monetary spending and the manner in which the money  

43

spent  has  been  duly  accounted.   Thus  a  certification  

programme for spending monies based on central schemes  

must  be  introduced.   This  certification  must  be  by  an  

independent  authority  that  will  ensure  that  the  monies  

allocated have in fact been spent for the benefit and welfare  

of the children.  If the home is situated within a panchayat  

area,  then  the  chairman  of  the  panchayat  or  the  zila  

parishad must be also made responsible for certifying that  

all the monies which were intended for the home in terms of  

grants or subventions have been duly utilised.

54. It is further submitted by the learned Solicitor General  

that the Integrated Child Protection Programme for Street  

Children is also a scheme by which NGOs are supposed to  

run 24 hour shelters and to provide food, clothing, shelter,  

non-formal education, recreation, counseling, guidance and  

referral services for children.  Considering the vulnerability  

of the children, all NGOs must be directed to be registered  

with the concerned Collector.  There must be a database of  

every NGO including details of all the functionaries of the  

NGO with full  particulars  including  their  addresses.    In  

order to enable the enrolment in schools of street children,  

44

vocational training, occupational placement and to mobilize  

preventive health services including reduction of drug and  

substance  abuse,  a  nodal  point  is  necessary.   The  nodal  

point must be either a Sub Divisional Magistrate/Executive  

Magistrate  whose  work  will  be  countersigned  by  a  

subordinate Judge appointed by the District Judge of the  

District.  Similarly, database must be maintained in relation  

to  the  children,  their  parentage,  present  status  and  the  

present  condition  of  their  educational  qualifications  and  

whether  they  are  capable  of  vocational  training.   It  is  

important  that  occupational  therapists  must  be  able  to  

assess on the basis of modern IQ and aptitude tests about  

the way in which such children can be taken forward to  

mainstream living by offering vocational guidance.  Offering  

children under difficult circumstances, relevant support is  

an  obligation  and  should  not  be  a  matter  of  charity  

fortuitousness in terms of magnanimous dispensation.  

55. Learned  Solicitor  General  also  gave  suggestions  as  

under:

Child-line  services  are  provided  for  children  in  

distress:  These should be catalogued and there should be  

45

a central registry which will provide information about the  

status of the child-line services at the local level.  It should  

be the District Magistrate who must be responsible for the  

effect  running  of  the  child-line  service.   All  District  

Magistrates in the country must post on the website their  

child-line service number and must give effective publicity  

to the services available and invite members of civil society  

to report any child in distress at numbers.  

Shishu  Griha  to  promote  in-country  adoption:  

Details  of  the  working  of  the  said  scheme  need  to  be  

collected and a database must be maintained in respect of  

orphans/ abandoned / destitute infants or children upto 6  

years.  The adoptive parents must be obliged to give reports  

to the District Judge who will in turn examine whether the  

adoptive parents have taken care of the child failing which  

adequate court-monitored measures may be necessary.

Schemes for working children in need of care and  

protection:  This scheme is very important.  Children who  

are engaged as domestic labour, working at roadside dhabas  

and  mechanic  shops  have  to  be  rescued  and  a  bridge  

education has to be provided including vocational training.  

46

This  must  be  undertaken  again  by  identifiable  points  of  

responsibility.  It is necessary that an Executive Magistrate  

must  be  allocated  a  certain  area  to  be  covered  where  

children  are  rescued.   This  should  be  undertaken  by  a  

District Magistrate dividing his district in suitable divisions  

where  such  Executive  Magistrates  can  rescue  working  

children.  They need to be rehabilitated.  It is important that  

rescue  will  be  effective  only  when  there  is  scope  for  

rehabilitation.  It  should not happen that in the name of  

rehabilitation  children  are  put  in  detention  homes  or  

remand homes.  That would be an act of cruelty.  

56. Learned  Solicitor  General  further  gave  suggestions  

including Pilot Project to combat the trafficking of women  

and children for commercial sexual exploitation as under:

Pilot  Project to combat the trafficking of  women  

and children for commercial sexual exploitation:  This is  

a  source  and  destination  area  for  providing  care  and  

protection  to  trafficked  and  sexually  abused  women  and  

children.   Components  of  the  scheme include networking  

with law enforcement agencies, rescue operation, temporary  

47

shelter for the victims, repatriation to hometown and legal  

services, etc.

Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA):  It is an  

autonomous body under the Ministry of Women and Child  

Development to promote in-country adoption and regulate  

inter-country adoption.  CARA also helps both Indian and  

foreign agencies involved in adoption of Indian children to  

function  within  a  regulated  framework,  so  that  such  

children  are  adopted  legally  through  recognised  agencies  

and no exploitation takes place.  

National  Child  Labour  Project  (NCLP)   for  

rehabilitation  of  child  labourers:   Under  the  Scheme,  

project  societies  at  the  district  level  are  fully  funded  for  

opening  up  of  Special  Schools/Rehabilitation  centers  

provide  non-formal  education,  vocational  training,  

supplementary  nutrition,  stipends,  etc.  to  children  

withdrawn from employment.  

The  Ministry  of  Women and Child  Development  has  

actually  in  an  outstanding  report  identified  the  

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shortcomings  and  gaps  in  existing  child  protection  

institutions.   The  reasons  for  limitations  in  effective  

implementation  of  programmes  have  been  properly  

identified.  The reasons are as follows:

Lack  of  Prevention:   Policies,  programmes  and  

structures  to  prevent  children  from  falling  into  difficult  

circumstances  are  mostly  lacking.   This  pertains  both to  

policies  to  strengthen  and  empower  poor  and  vulnerable  

families  to  cope  with  economic  and  social  hardship  and  

challenges and thus be able to take care of their children, as  

well as to efforts to raise awareness of all India’s people on  

child rights and child protection situation.  

Poor planning and coordination:   

i) Poor  implementation  of  existing  laws  and  

legislations;

ii) Lack  of  linkages  with  essential  lateral  

services for children, for example, education,  

health,  police,  judiciary,  services  for  the  

disabled etc;

iii) No mapping has been done of the children  

in  need  of  care  and  protection  or  of  the  

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services  available  for  them at  the  district,  

city  and state levels;

iv) Lack  of  coordination  and  convergence  of  

programmes/services;

v) Weak  supervision,  monitoring  and  

evaluation of the juvenile justice system.

Services are negligible relative to the needs:

i) Most  of  the  children  in  need  of  care  and  

protection, as well as their families do not get any  

support and services;

ii) Resources  for  child  protection  are  meagre  and  

their utilization is extremely uneven across India;

iii) Inadequate  outreach  and  funding  of  existing  

programmes results in marginal coverage even of  

children in extremely difficult situations;

iv) Ongoing large scale rural urban migration creates  

an  enormous  variety  and  number  of  problems  

related to social dislocation, severe lack of shelter  

and  rampant  poverty,  most  of  which  are  not  

addressed at all;

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v) Lack of services addressing the issues like child  

marriage, female foeticide, discrimination against  

the girl child, etc;

vi) Little  interventions  for  children  affected  by  

HIV/AIDs, drug abuse, militancy, disasters (both  

manmade  and  natural),  abused  and  exploited  

children and children of  vulnerable  groups like  

commercial  sex  workers,  prisoners,  migrant  

population and other socially vulnerable groups,  

etc;

vii) Little  interventions  for  children  with  special  

needs, particularly mentally challenged children.

Poor infrastructure

i) Structures  mandated  by  legislation  are  often  

inadequate;

ii) Lack of  institutional  infrastructure  to  deal  with  

child protection;

iii) Inadequate number of CWCs and JJBs.

iv) Existing  CWCs  and  JJBs  not  provided  with  

requisite  facilities  for  their  efficient  functioning,  

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resulting  in  delayed  enquiries  and  disposal  of  

cases.

Inadequate human resources

i) Inappropriate  appointments  to  key  child  

protection services leading to inefficient and non-

responsive services;

ii) Lack  of  training  and  capacity  building  of  

personnel working in the child protection system;

iii) Inadequate sensitization and capacity building of  

allied systems including police, judiciary, health  

care professions, etc;

iv) Lack  of  proactive  involvement  of  the  voluntary  

sectors in child protection service delivery by the  

State UT Administrations;

v) Large  number  of  vacancies  in  existing  child  

protection institutions.

Serious service gaps

i) Improper  use  of  institution  in  contravention  to  

government guidelines;

ii) Lack  of  support  services  to  families  at  risk  

making children vulnerable;

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iii) Overbearing  focus  on  institutional  (residential  

care)  with non-institutional  (i.e.  non-residential)  

services neglected;

iv) Inter-state  and  Intra-state  transfer  of  children  

especially  for  their  restoration  to  families  no  

provided for in the existing schemes;

v) Lack  of  standards  of  care  (accommodation,  

sanitation,  leisure,  food  etc.)  in  all  institutions  

due to lower funding;

vi) Lack  of  supervision  and  commitment  to  

implement  and  monitor  standards  of  care  in  

institutions;

vii) Most 24-hour shelters do not provide all the basic  

facilities  required,  especially  availability  of  

shelter, food and mainstream education;

viii) Not all programmes address issues of drug abuse,  

HIV/AIDS  and  sexual  abuse  related  

vulnerabilities of children;

ix) None of the existing schemes address the needs  

of child beggars or children used for begging;

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x) Minimal use of non-institutional care options like  

adoption, foster care and sponsorship to children  

without home and family ties;

xi) No mechanism for child protection at community  

level  or  involvement  of  communities  and  local  

bodies in programmes and services;

xii) Serious services and infrastructure gaps leading  

to few adoptions;

xiii) Cumbersome  and  time  consuming  adoption  

services;

xiv) Lack of rehabilitation services for old children not  

adopted through regular adoption processes;

xv) Aftercare  and  rehabilitation  programme  for  

children above 18 years are not available in all  

states, and where they do exist they are run as  

any other institution under the JJ Act, 2000.

57. It is further submitted by the learned Solicitor General  

that  the  above  needs  to  be  addressed  by  interventional  

orders  of  this  Court  in  the  exercise  of  its  extraordinary  

jurisdiction  under  the  Constitution.   Points  of  

implementation must be identified.  

54

58. Learned Solicitor General further submitted that each  

State  Government  must  identify  an  officer  who  is  

responsible  for  implementation  of  schemes  in  relation  to  

children.  There must be a parallel linkage between a point  

of contact of the Collectorate/Executive Administration with  

a point in Legal Aid i.e. the Executive Chairman of the State  

Legal  Services  Authority  and  a  point  in  the  NGO  

Sector/Civil Society.  Similarly, points must be identified in  

each  Zila  Parishad  and  Panchayat  Samiti  and  Gram  

Panchayats.   In  fact,  the  Presiding  Officers  of  the  gram  

Nyayalayas may also be encouraged to identify children who  

are  vulnerable  and  who need  protection.   The  Integrated  

Child Protection Scheme is presently in place.  It seeks to  

institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures;  

it seeks to enhance capacities at all levels; it seeks to create  

database and knowledge base for child protection services;  

it  needs  to  strengthen  child  protection  at  family  and  

community  level.   The  guiding  principles  are  neatly  

formulated in this scheme.  These must be implemented.  

The adoption programme will be governed by the following  

guiding principles:

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i. Best interest of the child is paramount;

ii. Institutionalization  (e.g.  placement  into  residential  care)  of  the child should be for  the shortest possible period of time;

iii. All  attempts  should  be  made  to  find  a  suitable  Indian  family  within  the  district,  state or country;

iv. The child shall be offered for inter-country  adoption  only  after  all  possibilities  for  national adoption, or other forms of family  based  placement  alternatives  such  as  placement  with  relatives  (kinship  care),  sponsorship  and  foster  care  arrangements  have been exhausted;

v. All institutions should disclose details about  children in their  care and make sure  that  those  free  for  adoption  are  filed  and  recorded with the State Adoption Resource  Agency  (SARA)  and  CARA,  with  all  supporting  documentation  of  authorization  of such adoption from CWC;

vi. Inter-state coordination to match the list of  Prospective  Adoption  Parents  (PAPs)  with  that of available children should be done by  SARAs;

vii. No  birth  mother/parent(s)  should  be  forced/coerced  to  give  up  their  child  for  monetary or any other consideration;

viii. Adoption process from the beginning to end  shall be completed in the shortest possible  time;

ix. Monitoring,  regulating  and  promoting  the  concept and practice of ethical adoptions in  the country should be ensured;

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x. Agencies  involved  in  the  adoption  process  should perform their duties in a transparent  manner, following rules of good governance  and adhering to the professional and ethical  code  of  conduct.  Those  agencies  shall  be  reporting to and will be subject to rigorous  auditing  and  supervision  by  responsible  State bodies.

59. The  most  outstanding  feature  of  this  scheme which  

needs to be implemented on a full-time and firm basis is the  

government civil society partnership.  This will involve active  

involvement of the voluntary sector, research and training  

institutions, law college students, advocacy groups and the  

corporate  sector.   It  should  be  the  duty  of  the  Health  

Secretary  of  each  state  government  including  under  the  

chairmanship of the Health Secretary, Government of India  

to have a blueprint for implementing the Government – Civil  

Society initiative.  It is necessary that there must be a 6-

monthly strategy plan which must be prepared by the state  

government  and  also  by  the  central  government  in  this  

regard.

60. The  ICPS  programmes  are  now  brought  under  one  

umbrella and are as follows:

57

a) Care,  support  and  rehabilitation  services through child-line;

b) Open shelters for  children in need in  urban/semi-urban areas;

c) Family  based  non-institutional  care  through  sponsorship,  foster  care,  adoption and aftercare.

61. It is necessary that poor families must be discouraged  

from  placing  their  children  into  institutional  care  as  a  

poverty coping measure.  Institutionalized children have to  

be re-integrated into families.  The following portion of the  

sponsorship scheme is relevant:-

“3.1 It  is submitted that this can be monitored  by  a  representative  of  the  Comptroller  and  Auditor  General/Accountant  General  of  each  State as well as the Health Secretary incharge of  Child Development in each State.”

62. The  scheme  shall  provide  support  for  foster  care  

through the  Sponsorship and Foster  Care Fund available  

with the District Child Protection Society.  The Child Welfare  

Committee  either  by  itself  or  with the  help  of  SAA,  shall  

identify suitable cases and order placement of the child in  

foster-care.  Once the Child Welfare Committee orders the  

placement of the child in foster care,  a copy of the order  

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shall be marked to the DCPS for release of funds and to SAA  

for  follow up and monitoring.   The SAA shall  periodically  

report about the progress of the child of the Child Welfare  

committee and DCPS.

63. In view of the directions suggested, the Child Welfare  

Committee must directly come under the supervision of the  

District Judge/Judge of the High Court, it is submitted that  

the  above  implementation  must  also  be  overseen  by  a  

Court-monitored mechanism.

64. There must be an annual report by CARA.  The said  

report must be scrutinized by a Secretary incharge of family  

and  social  welfare.   On  9th September,  2009,  an  office  

memorandum was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.   

65. The  provisions  of  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  

Compulsory Education Act, 2009 are material.  By virtue of  

Section 3 of the Act, every child of the age of 6-14 years shall  

have  a  right  to  free  and  compulsory  education  in  a  

neighbourhood  school  till  completion  of  elementary  

education.  The Central Government has notified the Act in  

the  Gazette  on  27th August,  2009  and  the  Act  has  been  

59

brought into force with effect from 1st April,  2010. It  may  

also be noted that Chapter 6 of the Act has special provisions  

for  protection  of  the  right  of  children.   The  National  

Commission for Protection of Child Rights has already been  

constituted.  The said Commission now receives a statutory  

status by virtue of this Act.  In view of the performance of the  

present National Commission for Protection of Child Rights,  

which has taken pioneering efforts, it is expected that on a  

close  interface  between  the  National  Commission  for  

Protection of  Child Rights,  the State Governments and the  

Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development,  positive  

outcomes should actually be worked out.   

66. It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  a  coordinated  effort  

must  be  made  by  the  three  agencies,  namely,  the  

Commission,  the  Ministry  and  the  State  Governments.  

Learned  Solicitor  General  submitted  that  the  

recommendations   be  implemented  by  the  concerned  

agencies.  In  the  State/Union  Territory,  the  responsibility  

must be vast either on the Chief Secretary or a Secretary  

Incharge of Children, Women and Family Welfare. It would  

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be open to the State Government in appropriate  cases to  

nominate  a special  officer  for  the  said purpose not  lower  

than the rank of a Secretary to the State Government.  Each  

State  must  issue a  circular  effectively  indicating  how the  

recommendations  will  be  implemented.  We  accept  the  

submissions of the learned Solicitor General and direct that  

the said circular shall be issued within 4 weeks from today  

and a compliance report be filed by the Chief Secretary of  

each State to this Court.    

67. From the above comprehensive submissions made by  

the learned Solicitor General it is abundantly clear that the  

Government of India is fully aware about the problems of  

children working in various places particularly in circuses.  

It may be pertinent to mention that the right of children to  

free  and  compulsory  education  has  been  made  a  

fundamental  right  under  Article  21A  of  the  Constitution  

Now every child of the age of 6 to 14 years has right to have  

free  education  in  neighbourhood  school  till  elementary  

education.

68. We  have  carefully  mentioned  comprehensive  

submissions and suggestions given by the learned Solicitor  

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General and others.  We plan to deal with the problem of  

children’s exploitation systematically.  In this order we are  

limiting  our  directions  regarding  children  working  in  the  

Indian Circuses.  Consequently, we direct:

(i) In order to implement the fundamental right of  

the  children  under  Article  21A  it  is  imperative  

that the Central Government must issue suitable  

notifications  prohibiting  the  employment  of  

children  in  circuses  within  two  months  from  

today.

(ii) The  respondents  are  directed  to  conduct  

simultaneous raids in all the circuses to liberate  

the  children  and  check  the  violation  of  

fundamental rights of the children.  The rescued  

children  be  kept  in  the  Care  and  Protective  

Homes till they attain the age of 18 years.   

(iii) The respondents are also directed to talk to the  

parents  of  the  children  and  in  case  they  are  

willing to take their children back to their homes,  

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they  may  be  directed  to  do  so  after  proper  

verification.

(iv) The  respondents  are  directed  to  frame  proper  

scheme of rehabilitation of rescued children from  

circuses.

(v) We  direct  the  Secretary  of  Ministry  of  Human  

Resources  Development,  Department  of  Women  

and Child  Development  to  file  a  comprehensive  

affidavit of compliance within ten weeks.

69. This  petition  is  directed  to  be  listed  for  further  

directions on 19th July, 2011.

……………………………………..J.                                 (DALVEER BHANDARI)

..…………………………………..J.                       (A.K. PATNAIK)

New Delhi; April 18, 2011

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