The practice of dedicating young girls to the temple to appease the Gods still prevails in Karnataka and Goa. The Karnataka Devadasi (Prohibition of Dedication) Act of 1982 was passed, yet the State Government has not yet framed rules for administering the law. The worst part of it is that studies show that special children with physical and mental disabilities are more prone to be dedicated as Devadasi.
It was also found that girls from economically backward communities continued to be victims and thereafter were forced into the commercial sex racket. Despite prevalence of the practice, recent legislation such as POSCO Act, 2012, Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences and the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015, have not made any reference to it as a form of sexual exploitation of children.
