Ujjawala Scheme for Rescue and Rehabilitation of Trafficking Victims

Ujjawala was launched in 2007 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development as India's first dedicated scheme for the rescue and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Today it operates through more than 130 protective and rehabilitative shelter homes across the country, almost all of them run by accredited NGOs with state-government oversight.

Entry into an Ujjawala home does not require a prior police First Information Report. This is the most misunderstood part of the scheme. A frontline call to the Women Helpline (181), the Childline (1098), or a direct approach to an Ujjawala-empanelled NGO is sufficient to trigger protective custody. The FIR follows, typically filed by the NGO in coordination with the local Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), but the survivor is admitted to safe shelter immediately, not held back pending paperwork.

Once admitted, a survivor is entitled to safe boarding and lodging, three meals a day, age-appropriate clothing, medical examination on entry, ongoing primary and specialist medical care including reproductive health and HIV management, and structured mental health support. Legal aid is provided through panel lawyers empanelled with the District Legal Services Authority, at no cost to the survivor.

Rehabilitation is the longer arc. Adult survivors are offered vocational training in trades they choose, ranging from tailoring and beauty work to retail, hospitality, computer skills and small-business setup. Children are linked to age-appropriate schooling or bridge education. The shelter is required to develop an Individual Care Plan within the first thirty days, reviewed quarterly, with measurable benchmarks for medical recovery, education or vocational milestones, family-tracing where relevant, and reintegration readiness.

Reintegration is the most fragile phase. For survivors returning to their families, social workers undertake a home-environment assessment to ensure the family is not the source of the trafficking. For those who cannot or will not return home, the shelter coordinates independent living arrangements, often in partnership with women's collectives or accredited group homes.

Foreign nationals are repatriated through a Ministry of External Affairs protocol that coordinates with the home country's embassy in New Delhi. Repatriation can take months because identity documentation often needs to be re-issued. During this period, the survivor's rights to shelter, medical care, legal aid and vocational training continue uninterrupted. The scheme has acknowledged gaps in post-discharge follow-up; survivors and their advocates should insist on a written six-month and twelve-month follow-up plan at discharge.

• 01Woman or child victim of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, identified by police, NGO, or self-referral
• 02No requirement of FIR for entry into protective custody
• 03Indian nationals trafficked within India or abroad, and foreign nationals trafficked into India
• 04Children below 18 are processed under the Juvenile Justice Act in parallel with Ujjawala benefits

• §Aadhaar or any photo identity is helpful but not mandatory at entry
• §Statement of identification (recorded by the protection officer or NGO)
• §Medical examination report, conducted on entry to the shelter home
• §Repatriation documents for foreign nationals, processed by MEA in coordination with home-country embassy

• Adult woman declines protective custody, in which case the shelter cannot be imposed; only voluntary support services may continue
• Shelter home is at full capacity, requiring transfer to a partner Ujjawala home in another district
• Documentation gaps for foreign survivors delay repatriation, not rehabilitation
• Survivor is deemed by the Child Welfare Committee to be a juvenile, transferring the case primarily to the JJ Act framework

• Ujjawala Scheme Guidelines (Revised), Ministry of Women & Child Developmentlink ↗
• Standard Operating Procedure for Anti-Human Trafficking Units, Ministry of Home Affairs
• National Commission for Women Annual Report (2024-25), National Commission for Women