Telangana tops India in child labour rescues, arrests: Report

Telangana has emerged as India’s leading State in tackling child labour and trafficking, with over 11,000 children rescued in the financial year 2024–25. This finding was mentioned in “Building the Case for Zero” — a report by India Child Protection that assesses rescue operations and legal action across 24 States.

According to the findings, 53,651 children were rescued across India by Just Rights for Children (JRC), a national network of over 250 NGOs. Of these, Telangana accounted for 11,063 rescues and 7,632 operations in 2024-25, outpacing larger States like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The report lauds the State’s strong coordination between civil society groups and law enforcement agencies.

Telangana also led in arrests, with 2,247 individuals (2,226 for child labour, 21 for sexual exploitation) arrested for offences linked to child exploitation. This legal follow-through stood in contrast to States like Uttar Pradesh, which despite rescuing over 4,095 children, made just 167 arrests, pointing to serious enforcement gaps. The report noted that 85% of all arrests nationally were related to child labour.

Across the country, the most alarming trend was that nine out of 10 rescued children were engaged in the worst forms of labour, from sweatshops and domestic servitude to massage parlours, orchestras and street begging. “These sectors, often unregulated and hidden, leave children vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse,” as stated in the report.

The report stressed that while rescue operations are crucial, they must be backed by legal prosecution and rehabilitation. In Telangana’s case, rescue was often followed by arrests and formal complaints, reinforcing deterrence.

Dedicated rehabilitation fund

To address this, the report recommends launching a National Mission to End Child Labour, backed by a dedicated rehabilitation fund, with legal enforcement at its core. A dedicated central Child Labour Rehabilitation Fund is also essential in providing financial support for the timely rehabilitation of rescued child labourers.

It also calls for district-level child labour task forces, universal free and compulsory education up to the age of 18, and a zero-tolerance policy for the use of child labour in public procurement and supply chains. Mandatory prosecution of employers is deemed essential to break the cycle of abuse.

“The fact that such a large number of children were engaged in the worst forms of child labour shows that despite the efforts of the government and civil society, our national resolve to eliminate child labour remains incomplete,” said Ravi Kant, National Convener, Just Rights for Children.