Every month, an estimated 64,851 people go missing in India, as per the World Population Review (2023). Many of them are individuals with mental health challenges, making them especially vulnerable.

In 2019, Akshay Ridlan, then a 20-year-old UPSC aspirant, was deeply moved by the plight of missing children. One case that profoundly impacted him was that of Tarun Gupta, a 17-year-old autistic boy who disappeared on 1 October 2019.

“Some stories haunted me, especially Tarun’s,” recalls Akshay. “An RPF officer made him board a train instead of helping him, and he was never seen again.”

For individuals with autism, dementia, or similar conditions, wandering off is common. However, their inability to communicate or seek help often leaves families in distress. Akshay wanted to find a foolproof solution.

On 12 September 2023, Akshay launched ‘Project Chetna’ to help caregivers quickly locate missing individuals. The initiative provides QR tags that can be worn as pendants.

When scanned, these tags display critical information such as the wearer’s contact and medical details.

The name ‘Chetna’, meaning consciousness, reflects the initiative’s mission to assist those who have lost their mental clarity or sense of direction.

To better understand the related challenges and needs of those suffering from dementia and children with disabilities, Akshay spoke to caregivers, doctors, and parents, focusing on effective identification.

Each QR pendant costs Akshay Rs 200 to produce. So far, he has distributed 100 pendants for free

Mumbai resident Rajagopal, whose 15-year-old son is on the autism spectrum, calls the QR tag a thoughtful innovation. “When my son went missing for 10 minutes at a zoo, it was terrifying. Such tags are invaluable for children on the spectrum,” he shares.

Akshay is also developing a system to alert families when the QR code is scanned, allowing them to track the wearer’s location across cities.

In February 2023, Akshay, now 25, extended his initiative to stray animals, creating QR tags that display the pet's name, gender, caretaker’s details, and vaccination or sterilisation history to help reunite them with their owners.

Despite efforts, Tarun Gupta, the boy who inspired Akshay’s project, remains missing. Akshay remains hopeful his initiative will prevent other families from suffering such a fate.