NCPCR celebrates ‘Elimination of Child Labour Week’

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is celebrating Elimination of Child Labour Week in honour of the World Day Against Child Labour from June 12-20 in 75 places as part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

The celebrations will be accompanied by rescue operations being carried out at 75 places in different districts. 

The NCPCR has developed a draft SOP on the rescue and post-rescue of child labour incorporating all provisions of various children related Acts which are applicable in these cases. 

Prevalence of child labour

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) organises World Day Against Child Labour on June 12 every year to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

• Children around the world are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work that are not harmful to them. However, they are classified as child labourers when they are either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development. 

• In the least developed countries, slightly more than one in four children (ages 5 to 17) are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development.

• Africa ranks highest among regions both in the percentage of children in child labour — one-fifth — and the absolute number of children in child labour — 72 million. Asia and the Pacific ranks second highest in both these measures — 7 per cent of all children and 62 million in absolute terms are in child labour in this region.

What is the role of NCPCR?

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. 

• It works under the aegis of the ministry of women and child development (WCD).

• The Commission’s mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• The child is defined as a person under the age of 18. 

• The Commission visualises a rights-based perspective flowing into national policies and programmes, along with nuanced responses at the state, district and block levels, taking care of specificities and strengths of each region. 

• The Commission has also been mandated to monitor the implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Constitutional provisions for children

Constitutional provisions for children, provided under the Constitution of India, are affected/contravened when a child is found in street situations. 

These provisions are:

• Article 14: The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.

• Article 15(3): Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children.

• Article 21: No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.

• Article 21(A): The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.

• Article 23(1): Traffic in human beings and beggary and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.

• Article 24: No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.

• Article 38(1): The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of  national life.

• Article 39: The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing…(e)…the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength.

• Article 39(f): ...Children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.

• Article 45: The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.

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