RPF rescued 84,119 Children under Op. Nanhe Farishtey in last 7 years

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has rescued 84,119 Children at risk in stations and trains, preventing them from falling into harm's way from the various zones of the Indian railways in the past seven years. 

Operation Nanhe Farishtey

Operation Nanhe Farishtey was launched by the RPF in 2018 to take care of the children who were perceived as at risk within the railway station premises.

• It focusses on saving children who were runaway, abandoned by their families, impoverished, disabled or victims of kidnapping.
• These children are vulnerable as they can be pushed into crime, prostitution or begging by organised crime syndicates.
• The RPF mandate was to rescue these children and hand them over to the District Child Welfare Committee. 
• The  District Child Welfare Committee finds the parents of the children and hand over the child to them.

Number of Rescued Children 

According to the RPF, during the last seven years (2018- May 2024), the highest number of rescued children was in 2022, when 17,756 children were rescued.

RPF rescued 17,112 children in 2018,  15,932 children in 2019, 5,011 children in 2020, 11,907 children in 2021, 17,756 children in 2022,11,794 children in 2023, and 4,607 children have been rescued in the first five months of 2024. 

A maximum of the children rescued, including both boys and girls, were runaways (who have run away from their homes due to various reasons). 

About Railway Protection Force 

• The Railway Protection Force was established on the recommendation of the High Power Committee, which the government of India established in 1954. The then Director of the  Intelligence Bureau, B N Mullik, was head of the committee.
• Based on the recommendation of the committee, the Railway Protection Force Act was enacted in 1957. 
• In 1985, the act was amended, and the Railway Protection Force was made one of the Central Police Organisations and given the status of an Armed Forces. 
• The RPF comes under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Railways.

Function of RPF 

• RPF is responsible for the security of the railway property, security of passengers and passenger areas. It also has the power to inquire and prosecute under the relevant Railways Act.
• It also assists the state police in the maintenance of law and order.

Foundation Day of RPF: 20 September. On this day in 1985, the RPF was made an Armed Force under the  Central Police Organisation.

Director General of RPF: Manoj Yadava ,IPS.

Different From the Government Railway  Police (GRP)

• As law and order are state subjects, maintaining them lies with the respective state police.
• These state police, who are responsible for maintaining law and order in railway stations, are known as the Government Railway Police (GRP).
• They can register a First Information Report(FIR) if a crime occurs within the railway premises. 
• They also escort the passenger trains in their jurisdiction.