Patna: More than 60% of children reported missing in Bihar are girls, with police and child-protection authorities examining concerns linked to trafficking, forced marriage and exploitation.
According to figures cited by the Bihar Police, 14,699 cases of missing children were registered in Bihar in 2025, including around 8,600 girls. In the first six months of 2026, 10,577 cases were recorded, of which approximately 6,700 involved girls.
The figures indicate that an average of around 40 children were reported missing every day in Bihar during 2025.
Girls Account For Majority Of Recoveries
The recovery figures also show a substantial gender difference.
In 2025, 7,772 children were recovered, including 1,205 boys and 6,567 girls. Between January and June 2026, 5,232 children were recovered, comprising 868 boys and 4,364 girls.
Authorities have been using the Mission Vatsalya portal to improve the tracing and identification of missing and recovered children.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development says the integrated Mission Vatsalya platform brings together information and services related to missing and vulnerable children, with the earlier TrackChild and Khoya-Paya systems integrated into the portal.
Trafficking Concerns Involving Adolescent Girls
The report says that girls from economically weaker families have been reported missing after being taken to other states in the name of jobs or marriage.
In some cases, concerns have emerged over their being pushed into domestic work, bonded labour, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and begging. These are reported concerns associated with some cases and do not establish that every missing-child case involves trafficking or exploitation.
The report also notes that the mandatory registration of an FIR when a child remains missing for 24 hours has contributed to an increase in recorded missing-child figures.
At the same time, concerns have been raised about the response during the initial period after a child goes missing, often described as the “golden hour” for tracing and recovery.
Mission Vatsalya Portal Helps Trace Missing Children
Bihar Police is using the Mission Vatsalya portal to trace children from the state who are recovered in different parts of the country.
According to the figures cited in the report, the system has helped authorities trace 6,857 children, while 4,273 have been matched with records of missing children. Details of missing and recovered children are uploaded to the portal to facilitate identification.
Cases involving alleged abduction for marriage are also being separately verified.
The integrated Mission Vatsalya platform is designed to support child-protection agencies at state and district levels, including Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, Special Juvenile Police Units and Child Care Institutions.
Nearly 45,000 Children Rehabilitated In Five Years
Between 2021 and 2025, around 45,000 children requiring care and protection were rehabilitated in Bihar, according to the report.
In 2024 alone, 12,472 children were rehabilitated. They included missing children, victims of human trafficking, children who had run away from home and those who had surrendered or otherwise required care and protection.
Many were reunited with their families. For children unable or unwilling to return to their families, authorities used measures including adoption and temporary care arrangements.
The rehabilitation process involved Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, Child Care Institutions and Special Juvenile Police Units.
Special Operations To Trace Missing Children
Authorities are also conducting special operations to trace missing children and address cases involving trafficking and exploitation.
The report mentions Operation Talaash and Operation Savera, along with efforts to establish child corners at police stations.
The measures are aimed at strengthening the identification, tracing, recovery and rehabilitation of missing children.
The data also highlights the disproportionate share of girls among Bihar’s missing children and the need for continued attention to the risks faced by children who disappear from vulnerable families.
