Operation Muskan: 41,193 Children Rescued, 4,960 Missing Women Traced – CM Fadnavis

Rapid Summary

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra fadnavis revealed in the state legislative assembly the results of two initiatives:

– Operation Muskan: Rescued 41,193 children and traced 4,960 missing women.
– Operation Shodh: Traced 1,364 missing children within a month (April-May).

• Between April and May, the government identified cases where 106 women and 703 children where registered as missing but not initially recorded.

• Mr. Fadnavis emphasized ongoing challenges in addressing missing persons’ issues from a social perspective and announced plans to align these efforts with campaigns like “Police Kaka” and “Police Didi.”

• Legislator ambadas Danve urged for social studies to understand root causes such as child marriage or sexual violence, citing hotspot areas needing increased visible policing.

• National coordination on “missing women” portals is underway; consolidated reports will be prepared across states.

• Nagpur case data was specifically highlighted: out of 5,897 reported missing women cases, about 90% (5,210) were resolved successfully; unresolved cases linger at around 4-5%.

• CM Fadnavis proposed setting up dedicated “missing cells” at each police station for systematic tracking of such cases under regular IPS officer reviews every two months.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The latest revelations by CM Devendra Fadnavis underscore Maharashtra’s considerable efforts under Operation Muskan and Operation Shodh in addressing the critical issue of missing children and women. The successful tracing rates reported suggest commendable progress; however, persistent gaps remain-particularly those tied to unresolved cases-and highlight systemic hurdles that require further attention.Linking these operations with broader societal dynamics represents an opportunity for more holistic interventions targeting root causes like child marriage or sexual violence noted by legislators during discussions. Establishing specialized cells for continuous monitoring could improve case resolution efficiency if adequately resourced.

Coordination through national frameworks like the “missing women” portal signifies potential improvements via centralized reporting systems but entails balancing resource allocation across India’s diverse socio-economic realities to ensure equitable impact. Maharashtra’s approach could guide other states while signaling the importance of treating such pressing concerns as both administrative priorities and social responsibilities.

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