New Delhi: In a remarkable humanitarian effort, Indian Railways has rescued more than 16,000 vulnerable children across the country in just one year under its ongoing mission ‘Operation Nanhe Farishtey’. These include runaways, abducted kids, and children found abandoned on trains and at railway stations. Among the rescued, over 3,000 were girls.
In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 boys and 3,000 girls were saved from potentially dangerous situations. During the first half of 2025, another 4,177 boys and 1,911 girls were safely relocated to protective shelters.
Many children were found to have fled home due to academic pressure, parental scolding, or poor exam results, while others were misled by false promises of jobs in metro cities. Several were discovered in deep emotional distress, with signs of anxiety, trauma, and depression.
In addition to runaways, the Railways rescued 69 abducted children in 2024 and 20 more in the first half of 2025, including 13 girls and 7 boys. Authorities are also alarmed by the rising number of children found alone on platforms and trains — 844 boys and 436 girls in 2024, with another 405 boys and 222 girls located by June 2025.
The Railways further revealed that 2,058 rescued children required special medical or psychological care, and were given immediate attention.
All children are reunited with families or placed in child welfare institutions following legal procedures. The Indian Railways reaffirmed its strong commitment to child safety, continuous surveillance, and timely rescue efforts, ensuring that no child is left behind in distress.
