New Delhi [India], July 28 : The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs will meet on Tuesday to further deliberate on the issue of 'crime against children' and hear the views of key stakeholder ministries.
The committee will hear the views of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes data on crimes, including crime against women and children, in its publication "Crime in India", which is available on its webiste. The said report is available up to the year 2023. As per NCRB, the number of cases registered under 'the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956' during the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 are 1639, 1294, 1678, 1497 and 2166 respectively.
"Police" and "Public Order" are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crimes related to human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of the victims of trafficking or seducing or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution rests with the respective state governments and they are competent to deal with it.
The Women and Child Development Ministry has said that the Centre attaches highest importance to the matter of preventing and countering the crimes against women and children including crimes of human trafficking and is fully committed to check the menace of trafficking. The Central Government has undertaken a number of legislative and schematic interventions to combat trafficking, protect and rehabilitate victims of trafficking, the ministry said.