Programmes like ‘The Big Picture’, ‘In Depth’ and ‘India’s World’ airing on Rajya Sabha TV are replete with insightful content that is vital for UPSC preparation. This article offers a brief on the discussions that took place in the ‘Big Picture’ episode on “Confronting Human Trafficking” which is crucial for the IAS Exam.
Confronting Human Trafficking :-
Anchor: Frank Rausan Pereira
Guests:
1- Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Former Chairperson, National Commission for Women
2- Dr. Vikram Singh, Former DGP, Uttar Pradesh
3- Mathew Joji, Head, Development, International Justice Mission
What’s in the news?
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concerns that the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to a significant surge in human trafficking.
- The Home ministry of India has directed the States and Union Territories to fast-track the establishment of new Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and enhance the infrastructure of existing ones to effectively ‘combat and prevent’ human trafficking.
- What is AHTU?
- AHTU is a comprehensive task force devised to prevent and combat the menace of human trafficking.
- It includes trained representatives from the police, the department of women and child development, other relevant departments and non-government organizations.
- The first Integrated Anti Human Trafficking Unit (IAHTU) in India was launched by the Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 2007.
How widespread is human trafficking?
- As per the International Labour Organization(ILO), in 2019, around 21 million people were trapped in “modern slavery”.
- Approximately 68 percent were exploited as underpaid, free or forced labour.
- Nearly 4.5 million were victims of sex trafficking and organ d
