Question : Child Labour

(a)whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that despite ban on the Child Labour in the country, it is still prevalent and on the rise in many parts of the country;
(b)whether it is a fact that the Government has taken several initiatives to tackle Child Labour and if so, the details of all the ongoing initiatives;
(c)the details of the provisions made to check child trafficking and protect them from Child Labour;
(d)the details of the cases of Child Labour registered and the steps taken in this regard;
(e)whether the Government proposes to enact a law in this regard; and
(f)if so, the details thereof including the policy initiatives/action plan to abolish Child Labour and Child trafficking in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (f): The Government of India stands committed to eradication of child labour from the country.
Contd..2/-


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The Government has amended the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 which came into force with effect from 1.9.2016. The Amendment Act, inter-alia, provides for complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation and process and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. The Amendment Act also provides for stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and has made the offence as cognizable.
After strengthening the legislative framework through amendment in Child Labour Act, the Government has also framed the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017 which, inter-alia, specifies the duties and responsibilities of State Governments and District Authorities to ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act. The Government has also devised a Standard Operating Procedure as a ready reckoner for trainers, practitioners and enforcing and monitoring agencies.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment is also implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme since 1988 for rehabilitation of child labourers. Under the NCLP, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/ withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system. The children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal education system through a close coordination with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
The Scheme is regularly monitored and evaluated by the Chairman, Project Director of the Society, District Nodal Officer, Labour Commissioner and Ministry of Labour and Employment.
To ensure the effective enforcement of the provisions of the Child Labour Act and smooth implementation of NCLP Scheme, a dedicated online portal named PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) is developed in order to make the NCLP successful through better monitoring and implementation. The Portal connects Central Government to State Government(s), District(s), all Project Societies and the general public.
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