Hyderabad, August 2, 2025, Operation Muskaan XI, a nationwide campaign by the Ministry of Home Affairs, concluded in Telangana with a remarkable rescue of 7,678 children from July 1 to 31, 2025. Spearheaded by the Women Safety Wing, the month-long drive targeted child labour, trafficking, and vulnerable conditions across the state. Deploying 121 Sub-Divisional Police Teams with 786 personnel, the operation collaborated with the Women Development and Child Welfare Department, Labour, Health, Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), and NGOs.
The effort focused on high-risk areas like railway stations, brick kilns, and construction sites, identified after a state-level meeting on June 27, 2025, and training on laws including the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. Of the rescued, 7,149 were boys and 529 were girls, with 3,787 hailing from states like Odisha, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, plus four from Nepal. The breakdown shows 6,718 child labourers, 357 street children, 42 beggars, 2 bonded labourers, and 559 in other employments.
The operation registered 1,713 cases, arresting 1,718 accused and rescuing 1,745 children directly tied to these cases. While 6,593 children were reunited with families, 1,049 were placed in rescue homes, reflecting a robust rehabilitation effort. Telangana Police hailed this as a step toward eradicating child trafficking and bonded labour, though some question the sustainability of such rescues without addressing root causes like poverty.
Hyderabad alone rescued 1,247 children, with 560 from other states, including 14 from Nepal, as per city police reports. Critics argue the focus on numbers might overshadow long-term solutions, but officials insist it’s a critical start. The operation underscores a multi-agency commitment, though its impact on systemic issues remains under scrutiny.
