Supreme Court Sets April 18 Deadline as States Lag on Child-Trafficking Reforms

Overview

• The Supreme Court, which questioned state Home Secretaries on Wednesday, gave a final chance to file structured compliance affidavits by April 18.
• The bench named Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha and Punjab for failing to submit reports in the required format.
• The court heard that 15 states have not formed the mandated review committees that must map and track trafficking-prone areas.
• Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said organised gangs operate across India and that vigilant action rests with state home departments and police.
• The April 15, 2025 ruling orders six-month trials, stronger Anti-Human Trafficking Units, and treating missing-child cases as trafficking, with the case next listed for April 29.