Multi-pronged strategy in place to eliminate child labour

The government is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate child labour and has taken comprehensive measures which include legislative action, rehabilitation strategy and providing right to free education, Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav said in Lok Sabha.

As per National Crime Records Bureau report, 476 cases were registered in 2020 under Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. In 2018, there were 464 cases and in 2019, as many as 772 cases were registered.

Combating child labour

• The Centre has amended the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and enacted Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 which covers complete prohibition on employment or work of children below 14 years of age in all occupations and processes, linking the age of prohibition of employment with the age for free and compulsory education under Right to Education Act, 2009, prohibition on employment of adolescents (14 to 18 years of age) in hazardous occupations or processes and making stricter punishment for the employers contravening the provisions of the Act. 

• The amendment provides for stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and the employment of children or adolescents in contravention of the provisions of the Act has now been made a cognizable offence.

• As per provisions contained in the Act, whoever employs any child or permits any child to work in contravention shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six month but which may extend to two years, or with fine which shall not be less than Rs 20,000 but which may extend to Rs 50,000, or with both.

• Labour being in the Concurrent List, enforcement of the provisions of the Act is the responsibility of both central and state governments in their respective sphere.

• The government is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme since 1988 for rehabilitation of child labour. Under the NCLP scheme, children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP special training centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend and health care, before being mainstreamed into the formal education system. 

• NCLP has now been subsumed under the Samagara Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme.

• Framing of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Central Rules, framing of model state action plan enumerating action points to be taken by respective state governments and circulation of the same to chief secretaries of all states are some of the other measures.

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