Women and children are most exploited, vulnerable: Acharya

''Education is an important factor that helps to increase the ratio of the parameters in the human development index,'' said Home Minister Dr V S Acharya.

Speaking after inaugurating the two-day conference on ‘The Law Relating to Persons Vulnerable to Exploitation-Indian Perspective’ organised by Karnataka Institute for Law and Parliamentary Reforms (KILPAR), Bangalore in association with Vaikunta Baliga College of Law here, he said that people with physical weakness, inadequacies and mental disability, those who are less informed and those residing in the remote areas are the groups that are let down from the development and modernisation process. Education was instrumental in making Udupi district less vulnerable. Recent changes enabling reservation in education and employment opportunities has resulted in countless beneficiaries of the provisions. Changes have helped rural kids to get educated. Udupi district owns the credit of being number one in the HDI criteria besides being the district with lower infant mortality rate, he said. Founder President of KILPAR Dakshina Murthy said that the institute is keen to promote awareness programmes on law and constitutional related issues among the masses. Attempts are made to reach out to the public in a simpler manner. The institute has brought out 20 publications and is planning to release additional 32 publications shortly on the issue. People are less aware regarding the vulnerable classes of the society. The discriminated people are kept out of the opportunities of nation building, he added. MIC Honorary Director Dr M V Kamath said that women and children are the most exploited and vulnerable class. Trafficking of women and children has become a worldwide phenomenon. Human trafficking in India has substantially increased in the recent years. As many as 70 thousand million sex workers are engaged in the trade in India. About 30 percent of them are below 20 years of age, out of which majority are between 15 and 18. A rough estimation of an NGO shows 20 percent of 2 million sex workers are minors. Even though India has excellent frame work of law supported by State legislations, the uncertainty still prevails on whether we can stop all these activities legally. Media plays a corrupt role supporting pornography. Do we need this sort of journalism?, he articulated. Laws have to change. Concentration on social changes needs to be hiked, he said. Vaikunta Baliga Law College Principal Prakash Kanive was present. (DHNS/Painting courtesy Jamini Roy)