Background
Overview
This concept is crucial for UPSC as it addresses a significant social issue impacting vulnerable sections, human rights, internal security (organized crime), and governance challenges in protection and rehabilitation. It is relevant for GS1 (Social Issues), GS2 (Vulnerable Sections, Governance), and GS3 (Internal Security).
Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights, involving the recruitment, transportation, harbouring, or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force, deception, or abuse of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation. In India, it manifests primarily as sexual exploitation, forced labour, servitude, forced marriage, and begging, often preying on the socio-economic vulnerabilities of individuals, especially children.