More than 5,000 kids were saved from labour and trafficking scenarios throughout Uttar Pradesh throughout 2025-26, while authorities and kid rights groups stepped in to stay 17,000 kid marital relationships, highlighting the continuing scale of kid exploitation in the state regardless of heightened enforcement procedures.
< source media ="(min-width:768px)" alt ="JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu (right) interacting with media. (Sourced)" > < img src ="https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2026/06/12/400x225/JRC-founder-Bhuwan-Ribhu--right--interacting-with-_1781287258864.jpg"alt ="JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu (right) interacting with media. (Sourced)"title ="JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu (right) interacting with media. (Sourced)"width ="360"height ="202"loading ="eager">Information launched by kid rights organisation Just Rights for Children (JRC) reveals that 3,805 rescue operations were performed throughout 2025-26, almost double the 1,904 operations tape-recorded in 2023-24. Throughout the very same duration, 919 FIRs were signed up versus declared transgressors, a considerable boost from 261 FIRs 2 years previously, according to a main release.
The figures recommend a more aggressive reaction by enforcement firms, however they likewise suggest that kid labour and trafficking continue to stay extensive throughout a number of districts of the state.
According to JRC, the labour department provided challans in 2,552 cases connected to kid labour infractions throughout the year, according to the information.
The report likewise exposes the level of kid marital relationship interventions. An overall of 17,303 kid marital relationships were avoided through the participation of regional administrations, authorities workers and grassroots employees.
While the majority of cases were fixed after households sent composed endeavors, authorities needed to turn to legal steps in some circumstances. 8 kid marital relationships were stopped through court injunctions, cops stepped in straight in 30 cases and FIRs were signed up in 19 cases.
The numbers recommend that in spite of legal restrictions and awareness projects, kid marital relationship continues to stay a considerable social obstacle in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Apart from labour and marriage-related interventions, assistance was extended in 1,076 cases of kid sexual assault.
The organisation likewise reported that 1,585 police authorities went through training throughout 2025-26. In addition, more than 6.05 lakh susceptible households were connected to federal government well-being plans focused on decreasing financial distress typically connected with kid labour, trafficking and early marital relationship.
The current figures come as the UP federal government pursues its target of making the state kid labour-free by 2027. Kid rights professionals keep in mind that the big number of saves and interventions point to deep-rooted socio-economic vulnerabilities that continue to press kids towards labour, trafficking and early marital relationship.
Talking about the concern, JRC creator Bhuwan Ribhu stated kid trafficking for labour is significantly becoming organised criminal offense and needs a collaborated reaction from enforcement companies and neighborhoods. He stated JRC’s proposed network of ‘Surakshit Bal Grams’ is meant to reinforce community-level security systems and keep kids in school.
While authorities might see the increase in saves and FIRs as proof of more powerful enforcement, the information likewise works as a pointer that kid labour, trafficking and kid marital relationship stay far from gotten rid of in India’s most populated state.
