Human Trafficking in India: Legal Gaps and Enforcement Challenges

This research paper examines the legal framework, systemic gaps, and enforcement challenges related to human trafficking in India. It analyses international instruments, national laws—chiefly the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956—and recent legislative efforts aimed at addressing trafficking in persons. Using recent reports, case law, and policy documents, the paper identifies substantive lacunae in criminalisation, victim protection, data collection, inter-agency coordination, and cross-border cooperation. The study concludes with concrete recommendations for legal reform, institutional capacity building, victim-centric policies, and community-level prevention strategies.