IGNOU launches course on human trafficking

The six-month course, to be run in association with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), aims to educate law enforcement officials and activists about one of the largest criminal industries in the world.

Besides creating awareness and providing a broad understanding of human trafficking, the course will develop a better coordination among various stakeholders/agencies associated directly or indirectly with curbing this lucrative criminal activity.

Further, it would focus on the areas of law, policies, rehabilitation, prevention aspects of human trafficking, and reintegrating the victims. In addition to this, it would give attention to building skills in learners to engage with the numerous processes.

According to IGNOU sources the programme will be primarily useful to law enforcement officials, non-governmental organisations and the corporate houses. Any graduate or a class 12 pass-out with five years of experience in the related field is eligible for the programme which is one of the five new courses launched by IGNOU’s School of Law.

The course will soon be developed into a diploma programme with an impetus on exhaustive research, providing training and creating awareness among the masses. P M Nair will be the programme project coordinator.

Later, the programme is likely to be taken up with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat and extended to its member countries in order to implement the SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution.