Setting up of Organised Crime Investigation Agency (OCIA)

An inter-Ministerial consultation has been sought on the proposal for setting up of a national level coordination agency to be called ‘Organised Crime Investigation Agency (OCIA)’.

- Objective:1. To investigate, collect intelligence of the cases of human trafficking and other organized crimes 2. Train law enforcement officers 3. Coordinate in rescue and rehabilitation of victims.

- Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development.

About Human Trafficking

It is defined as the trafficking in Persons by recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring 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.

Constitutional protection against trafficking

Article 23 of the Indian Constitution prohibits trafficking in human beings, forced labour and other forms of forced labour.

Other provisions in law for protection from Human trafficking

1. Under section 2(D) of the Juvenile Justice(Care and Protection of Children) Act,2000 rescued  children suffering from trauma after an incidence of trafficking are provided care and protection 2. Sections 23,24,25,26 of the Juvenile Justice Act deals with various forms of exploitation of children that are declared to be cognizable offences.

Government Legislation and International Laws

1. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA): Intended to combat trafficking in persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery, and involuntary servitude, to reauthorize certain Federal programs to prevent violence against women, and for other purposes 2. UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffick in Persons: It is an international legislation that India has signed to support the elimination of human trafficking in India. 3. Immoral traffic prevention act of 1956- This law was passed in order to remove prostitution stemming from women trafficking in New Delhi, India. 4.Criminal Law Ordinance 2013: The Criminal Law Ordinance was created in order to make trafficking illegal in India.

Different projects and initiatives of government

1. Comprehensive Scheme “Strengthening law enforcement response in India against Trafficking" 

Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned this scheme. It intends to empower people against this evil through Training and Capacity Building. It has been proposed to establish 330 Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs ) throughout the country and impart training to 10.000 police officers through Training of Trainers (TOTs) component.

2. NODAL CELL FOR MONITORING ACTION TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a Nodal Cell for dealing with matters relating to trafficking in human beings. The Cell is inter alia responsible for collecting and analyzing the data related to trafficking from the State Governments/UT Administrations, identifying problem areas and analyzing causes for their being source/transit/destination areas, monitoring action taken by the State Governments/UT Administrations for combating the crime and organizing co-ordination meetings with the nodal Police Officers of States/UTs.