Supreme Court Directs Centre To Upload Nodal Officer Details On Mission Vatsalya Portal For Missing Child Complaints

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Union of India to ensure that all states and Union Territories make available details of dedicated Nodal Officers to handle cases of missing children and to upload their details on the Mission Vatsalya portal.“we direct the respondent(s) Union of India to communicate to each of the States and the Union Territories to make available details of a designated/dedicated Nodal Officer, who is in-charge of the missing children, along with the name, designation and telephone number so that the said details could be uploaded on the Mission Vatsalya portal”, the court stated.A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan observed that once a complaint is received on the portal, information must be simultaneously disseminated to the Nodal Officers, who can then take steps to trace missing children, investigate perpetrators such as kidnappers, and register further complaints.“Once any complaint regarding a missing children is received on the said portal, there would be simultaneous dissemination of information to the nodal officers, who could in-turn take steps for tracing of the missing child, investigation of the perpetrators such as kidnappers and for registering further complaints in the matter and taking all other necessary steps”, the Court stated.The Court passed the order in a PIL concerning child trafficking and unresolved cases of missing children recorded on the Khoya-Paya portal. The petition highlights the plight of children who are victims of organised trafficking networks operating across multiple States.The Court had earlier observed that one of the major difficulties in tracing kidnapped or trafficked children is the extensive and inter-State nature of trafficking networks. It had therefore stressed the need for a coordinated mechanism under the supervision of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The Court had suggested that a dedicated officer from each State be put in charge of registering complaints and disseminating information through a common portal accessible to all Nodal Officers across the country.The Court had also remarked that there was presently a lack of coordination among police units across States and Union Territories, which resulted in delayed or failed recovery of missing and trafficked children and slow investigations. It had observed that a centralised portal, monitored by a dedicated officer of the Home Ministry, would help in strategizing and facilitating prompt investigation and recovery efforts.On Tuesday, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati for the Union of India informed the Court that a common portal for tracking missing children, the TrackChild portal under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, has been integrated with the Khoya-Paya portal into the Mission Vatsalya platform.She submitted that fourteen different stakeholders are already participating in the Mission Vatsalya portal: Special Juvenile Police Units, District Crime Record Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, State Crime Record Bureau, Railway Protection Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committees, District Magistrates, Anti-Human Trafficking Units, Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Care Institutions, State Adoption Resource Agency, and the Central Adoption Resource Authority.Bhati said that any citizen who encounters a missing child or any parent or guardian wishing to file a complaint can access the portal. However, she pointed out that there were difficulties in the dissemination of information to relevant stakeholders and authorities.To address this, the Court directed the Union of India to communicate with all States and Union Territories to furnish details of their designated Nodal Officers, including names, designations, and contact numbers, so that these can be uploaded on the Mission Vatsalya portal. Bhati submitted that the Ministry of Women and Child Development would seek the required details from the States and Union Territories and upload them on the Mission Vatsalya portal once received. The Court said that each State and Union Territory must ensure that the dedicated Nodal Officer establishes a network of Nodal Officers in all districts and zones to facilitate the dissemination and collection of information.The Court granted time for compliance and adjourned the matter to November 18, 2025. It also directed that in the meantime, the stakeholders may hold online consultations to address issues arising in the tracing and recovery of missing children and in tackling child trafficking. The Court directed that a copy of this order be communicated by the Union of India to the Secretaries of the Department of Women and Child Development of all States and Union Territories.Case no. – Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 43/2024Case Title – Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan v. Union of India & Ors.Click Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Directs Centre To Upload Nodal Officer Details On Mission Vatsalya Portal For Missing Child Complaints

Amisha Shrivastava

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