Wed Jul 16 23:53:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text, formatted for clarity and conciseness:

**Headline: Maharashtra Government Reports Success in Tracing Missing Women and Children**

**Mumbai, July 17, 2025:** The Maharashtra government has announced significant progress in tracing missing women and children, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealing the results of Operations Muskan and Shodh in the legislative assembly.

According to Fadnavis, Operation Muskan led to the rescue of 41,193 children, while Operation Shodh traced 1,364 missing children within a single month. Furthermore, 4,960 missing women were traced between April and May. The CM acknowledged the complexity of the issue and the need to address the underlying social factors.

Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Ambadas Danve urged the government to conduct a social study to understand the root causes of missing persons cases, rather than solely treating it as a law enforcement matter. He emphasized the importance of visible policing in identified “hotspots” and addressing social issues like child marriage and sexual violence.

The issue was initially raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sunil Shinde, who inquired about the status of the “Track missing women” proposal. Fadnavis assured the assembly that Maharashtra is connected to the central government’s missing women portal, allowing for consolidated reporting.

While noting high success rates in tracing missing persons in some areas, such as Nagpur (90% of cases traced), Fadnavis acknowledged that a small percentage of cases often go unresolved. To address this, he announced the establishment of dedicated missing person cells in each police station, overseen by an IPS-level officer who will conduct bi-monthly reviews.

The government aims to integrate the missing person issue into its “Police Kaka” and “Police Didi” programs, which promote awareness about safe and unsafe interactions for children, further enhancing efforts to prevent and address the problem.

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