Ludhiana, July 21 -- In a major effort to curb the menace of child begging, the district administration here on Sunday launched raids at key locations in the city rescuing 18 children found begging with adults.

The initiative, part of Project Jeevanjot-2, aims to verify familial relationships through DNA testing to curb child trafficking and exploitation for begging. The raids targeted high-traffic areas, including the railway station, bus stand, and Chaura Bazar.

District child protection officer (DCPO), Rashmi Saini, who led a joint operation with Ludhiana city police, Railway Protection Force, representatives from Childline and Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) , stated that adults found forcing unrelated children to beg will face strict ...