SC sounds alarm over report of a child going missing every eight minutes

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern over a news report suggesting that a child goes missing in India every eight minutes, calling the issue alarming and in urgent need of systemic attention.

A bench of justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan made the observation while examining a case related to missing children and the effectiveness of the country’s adoption and tracing mechanisms. Justice Nagarathna remarked that the existing adoption framework is so complex and time-consuming that it often pushes people towards illegal channels.

During the hearing, the Centre, represented by additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, sought six weeks to appoint a nodal officer to oversee missing-child cases nationwide. The court declined the request and directed the government to complete the appointment by 9 December.

The bench also referred to its earlier order issued on 14 October, asking all States and Union Territories to assign nodal officers and furnish their details for publication on the Mission Vatsalya portal operated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The court emphasised that any complaint uploaded on the portal must be shared simultaneously with these officers for prompt action.

The Supreme Court has previously asked the Centre to set up a dedicated online platform under the home ministry to improve coordination among police units involved in tracing missing children, citing significant gaps in communication between states.

The ongoing proceedings stem from a petition filed by NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan, which highlighted unresolved cases of kidnapped or missing children. The organisation drew attention to instances in Uttar Pradesh where minors were allegedly trafficked through organised networks to states including Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

With PTI inputs