Supreme Court Cites University of Hyderabad Scholars in Human Trafficking Verdict

In a landmark recognition of local academic research, the Supreme Court of India has acknowledged studies by University of Hyderabad scholars in its judgment on the Prajwala vs Union of India case.

The verdict highlights critical social science perspectives on human trafficking, rehabilitation, dignity, and consent in India. It marks a new chapter in the country's legal understanding of these issues by incorporating interdisciplinary academic research into judicial recognition.

The Supreme Court's judgment specifically acknowledged debates that emerged from a 2016 Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) special issue titled "Review of Women’s Studies," which focused on human trafficking in India. The special issue was edited by Geraldine Forbes, a distinguished Professor Emerita at the State University of New York Oswego.

Among the academic papers reflected in the judgment are works by Prof. Ajailiu Niumai of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy at the University of Hyderabad, and Dr. Barnali Das, an alumna of the university. Both scholars have spent years researching rehabilitation practices, borderland vulnerabilities, and the lived experiences of trafficked women and children in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and India's Northeast.

The cited research critically examined how anti-trafficking interventions can sometimes reproduce institutional violence through forced rescue, confinement, surveillance, and inadequate rehabilitation. Dr. Das's paper, "'Who Would Like to Live in This Cage?': Voices from a Shelter Home in Assam," explored the realities of women in rehabilitation institutions. Prof. Niumai's paper, "Unspoken Voices of Trafficked Women and Children in Manipur," analyzed trafficking within the context of borderland insecurity, ethnic conflict, poverty, and fragile state infrastructure.

Other scholars whose contributions to the EPW special issue were recognized include Samita Sen, Kimberly Walters, Paula Banerjee, and Baitali Ganguly.

Prof. Ajailiu Niumai noted the significance of the court's recognition for the social sciences field. "Many people in the natural sciences perceive that social science research is not scientific research like that conducted in laboratories," she said. "After the Supreme Court acknowledged and mentioned the six articles on human trafficking and issues related to women in the EPW special edition, I hope that natural scientists will recognise social scientists as equals."