7,296 children went missing in Rajasthan between 2015-20

JAIPUR: According to the data available from the Union ministry of women and child development (WCD), 7,296 children have gone missing in Rajasthan between 2015 and 2020.
Out of the total missing children, over 5,850 were found as per the statistics of National Tracking System for Missing and Vulnerable Children which is operated by WCD. Apart from this since 2012, 8,503 missing children have been found in Rajasthan and more than 17,000 have been rehabilitated.
As per the data, the number of children missing in the state more than doubled suddenly from the year 2018 when a total of 791 children went missing out of which 611 were found to 2,191 missing children in 2019 out of which 1,919 were found. The number of missing children decreased in the year 2020 with 1,290 missing and 1,024 found. Child experts claimed that this could be due to the pandemic and the fluctuations in the number of missing children could also be delay in reporting the same on the portal.
Meanwhile, the number of missing children is likely to be higher as reported by the survey done by status report by Child Rights and You (CRY) on situation of missing children during Covid-19 pandemic mid of this year. In its status report – ‘Covid and Missing Childhood’ – CRY has analysed data accessed from Rajasthan Police and ministry of women and child development (MCWD) .The survey was conducted for World Day Against Trafficking in Person which revealed that in Rajasthan on an average 5 children were reported missing per day between Jan-July 2020, out of which four were girls. The report also said that A total of 1555 cases of missing children were reported in Rajasthan between January-July 2020.
WCD is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, namely the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) since 2009-10. Track Child portal has been designed and developed adhering to the guidelines provided in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and Model Rules 2007 and the provisions laid down in the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).