New Delhi, December 5, 2025 – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar identified Punjab as India’s top state for human trafficking during a parliamentary address, citing over 1,200 cases in 2024-25 per NCRB data involving smuggling to Canada and the Middle East. Women and children comprise 70% of victims, often lured by fake job offers through networks tied to Khalistani elements, with Punjab’s $5 billion annual diaspora remittances masking underlying risks.
Government Response and Political Backlash
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann committed to a special task force, while NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan under Kailash Satyarthi push rehabilitation. Jaishankar linked this to the Putin-Modi summit’s counter-terrorism focus, urging tech surveillance at borders amid DoT’s SIM mandate for OTT apps to disrupt encrypted trafficking communications. The government allocated ₹200 crore under the 2025 Anti-Trafficking Bill, though critics cite lax enforcement since farm law protests; Mann counters opposition politicization.
Global Implications for India’s G20 Presidency
With 40% of cases involving NRIs, federal coordination gains urgency as India eyes G20 leadership in 2026 to champion global anti-trafficking efforts
