Nearly five decades after India abolished bonded labour through the 1976 Act, a new NCCEBL report reveals the practice remains entrenched, particularly among migrant workers in brick kilns, manufacturing, and agriculture. Systemic failures, weak enforcement, and state complicity have left millions trapped in debt bondage. Rehabilitation schemes are often delayed or absent, pushing freed workers back into exploitation. Experts warn that without political will, structural reforms, and genuine support, slavery will persist in plain sight.

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