NEW DELHI: The revised anti-trafficking bill sets out steep penalties and proposes “mandatory reporting” of trafficking crimes which makes being a bystander an offence if a person has knowledge of a misdemeanour but withholds it from the authorities.The bill targets organised trafficking syndicates targeting minors girls and boys and the new draft, drawn up after consultations within the women and child development ministry, will now be sent for consideration of a group of ministers chaired by home minister Amit Shah The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, was passed by Lok Sabha in 2018 amid a heated debate but it never made it to Rajya Sabha and lapsed when the Modi government’s first term ended in 2019.In the new bill, a national database on trafficking offences and victims is also proposed. According to sources, it is also proposed to specify that if a public servant and those working in child care institutions and rehabilitation homes are found to be involved in crimes, they will face prosecution for “aggravated crimes”. The blatant abuse of authority in the Muzaffarpur shelter case is an obvious example.The “aggravated offences” category introduced in the 2018 bill lists a series of offences and the jail terms and fines for the same and inclusion of public servants under this category will be a significant step in increasing deterrence.There is an emphasis in including possible sources of abuse like forced labour and employment agencies involved in exploitation of migrants, offences involving children (gender neutral) and those with disabilities in the “aggravated offences” category. The government is also exploring steep penalties in the range of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh on traffickers, particularly those involved in running organised syndicates targeting minors.The GoM headed by Shah recently considered proposed amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. Other members on the GoM include foreign minister S Jaishankar , finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman , WCD minister Smriti Irani and social justice minister Thaawarchand Gehlot.There is a strong view in government that the crackdown on trafficking needs to punish not just the kingpin but the entire chain of intermediaries by way of penalties and seizures of not just property but even vehicles used for trafficking purposes.The WCD ministry also proposes to recommend complete immunity to victims so that they are able to come forward without fear to report their trafficker and not feel concerned about being accused of being at odds with the law as unwitting accomplices. The section on protection to witnesses, victims and complainants also proposes to extend the provision to specified family members of the victim, sources said.The ministry considered National Crime Records Bureau data for 2019 which showed that one of every two people trafficked is a minor.Also, the ministry's analysis of NCRB data in terms of trafficking of minors drew their attention to the fact that among those trafficked, there were more male children than girls. According to sources, this has brought focus on the need to crack down on organised trafficking syndicates and the need for a national database on such offences.It is also proposed to change the title of the draft Bill from “Trafficking of Persons” to “Trafficking in Persons.” This is significant as it meshes with the international definition of human trafficking as elaborated by the United Nation Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.The draft Bill also reinforces the role of the national and state level an Anti Human Trafficking Agency in stepping up investigation. It is also felt that effective district level anti-human trafficking units are critical to strengthening the investigation framework. The government also sees the role of the National Anti Trafficking Relief and Rehabilitation Committee as an important component of the proposed legislation.