Preventing Minor Girls from Running Away: A Policy Perspective

Despite sustained policing efforts such as Operation Muskaan and Anti-Human Trafficking Cells, thousands of minor girls continue to go missing every year. Former Maharashtra DGP Praveen Dixit argues that a combination of AI-enabled policing, identity verification systems, facial recognition technology and stronger family engagement is necessary to address the problem effectively

Whenever a complaint regarding missing children — particularly minor girls — is received by the police, the law requires that the case be treated with utmost urgency. Courts have repeatedly directed that such cases must initially be investigated by presuming the possibility of abduction. Accordingly, a criminal case is registered and a systematic investigation is undertaken.

Across Maharashtra, Missing Cells have been established in every police station, staffed with trained and sensitive officers. Investigations into missing children are closely monitored at senior levels. A woman officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police regularly reviews the progress of investigations every month. Officers who conduct effective investigations are encouraged, while lapses are examined and corrective action is initiated.

In addition, Maharashtra Police have undertaken multiple special drives to trace missing children. Since July 2015, fourteen phases of “Operation Muskaan” have been conducted across the state. Through these operations, more than 96 percent of missing girls have been traced and reunited with their families.

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Preventive measures have also been strengthened in several sectors. For instance, CCTV surveillance has been introduced in hospitals to prevent abduction of newborn babies. Similarly, the government has issued instructions on 12 February 2026 for comprehensive security audits of schools to ensure that children cannot be abducted from educational institutions.

To combat trafficking of women and children, Anti-Human Trafficking Cells have been established across all police units in the state. The police have also launched awareness initiatives such as the “Police Kaka” and “Police Didi” programmes, which focus on protecting children from sexual abuse and strengthening trust between children and law enforcement.

Despite these efforts, the scale of the problem remains significant.

According to available data, 11,316 minor girls were reported missing in Maharashtra in 2024, out of which 8,475 were traced.

In 2025, 12,113 minor girls were reported missing, and 10,295 were traced.

This means that more than 4,600 girls have still not been located over the past two years, making it a deeply concerning social and governance challenge.

During a recent discussion in the Maharashtra Legislature, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring that every missing girl is traced and reunited with her family.

Police officers and civil society organisations continue to work tirelessly on this issue. However, improving the effectiveness of these efforts requires greater use of emerging technologies.

Two practical examples illustrate how technology can assist in this effort.

During an assignment by the National Human Rights Commission to inspect mental health institutions in Maharashtra and Goa, it was discovered that many patients were unable to access welfare benefits because they lacked identification documents. By coordinating with district authorities, arrangements were made to issue Aadhaar cards to them. During this process, earlier Aadhaar records of several individuals were traced, which helped reconnect them with their families.

A similar approach can be applied in cases of missing children. Today, almost every minor has an Aadhaar identity record. If such data is appropriately integrated with monitoring systems at bus stations, railway stations and immigration checkpoints, it could significantly improve the chances of tracing missing children.

At present, while booking railway tickets, only the Aadhaar number of the primary passenger is recorded. It may be useful to consider mandatory identification for every traveller, which could also be extended to bus and taxi travel.

There is also evidence that some missing minor girls are forced into exploitative environments such as spas, dance bars, hotels or brothels. Enforcing identity verification in such establishments could help authorities identify and rescue vulnerable girls.

Another promising tool is facial recognition technology.

A successful experiment was conducted during the Ashadhi Ekadashi pilgrimage in Solapur district, where Superintendent of Police Atul Kulkarni deployed facial recognition systems to monitor the movement of nearly two million pilgrims. This system helped identify chain-snatchers and ensured that none of them escaped detection.

If photographs of missing girls are integrated with similar systems at large gatherings such as fairs, festivals or religious congregations, it could help authorities identify and trace them.

The Home Department could also consider encouraging institutions such as IIT Bombay to develop advanced technological solutions using artificial intelligence to assist law enforcement in tracing missing persons more effectively.

However, policing and technology alone cannot solve the problem.

It is equally important to examine the social causes behind why many girls leave home.

In many households today, both parents are employed, which often reduces meaningful communication between parents and adolescent children. Aspirations such as careers in cinema, job opportunities, higher education, or romantic relationships may influence young girls to leave home without informing their families.

In some cases, inter-caste or inter-faith relationships may create fear of family opposition, and even honour-based violence, prompting girls to run away.

Parents therefore need to spend quality time with their daughters, listen to their concerns, and build trust so that children feel comfortable discussing their problems openly.

Educational institutions also have an important role to play. Schools and colleges should consider appointing professional counsellors in addition to academic faculty. Many girls are influenced by misinformation, peer pressure or emotional distress. Timely counselling could prevent them from taking drastic steps such as running away from home or attempting self-harm.

Ultimately, addressing the issue of missing minor girls requires a whole-of-society approach.

Parents, relatives, neighbours, civil society organisations, administrators, police agencies and the media must work together to develop preventive strategies and strengthen protection systems.

Every missing girl represents not merely a statistic but a family in distress and a society that must do more to protect its children.