Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India - The Constitution of India 2024 (English Version)↗
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Article 23: Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour
Prohibits human trafficking, begar, and similar forms of forced labour, while permitting compulsory service for public purposes without prohibited discrimination.
Part IIIactive
In this article
What it means
Plain-language explanation
Where you notice it
Daily civic life
How it protects you
Citizen protection
What to remember
Exam and recall pointers
What it means
Simple explanation
Article 23 protects people from exploitation through trafficking and forced labour.
Practical daily-life use
Where citizens notice it
- Relevant to bonded labour, trafficking, and forced unpaid work.
- Helps identify exploitation even outside classic employer-employee language.
How it protects you
Citizen protection context
- Protects bodily freedom, dignity, and labour autonomy.
- Supports laws against trafficking and bonded labour.
Example situations
General civic examples
- A worker is forced to work to repay an old debt.
- A person is transported and exploited for labour or sexual exploitation.
Citizen note
Learning note
Forced labour and trafficking may also involve criminal law and labour law remedies.
Exam pointers
What to remember
- Article 23 is available against exploitation and has a broad social purpose.
- Compulsory public service cannot discriminate on prohibited grounds.
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Source references
Verification basis
Last reviewed against official sources: 2026-05-20.