Question : ILO Report Child Labour

(a)whether the Ministry has taken note of the ILO report/UNICEF mentioning that child labour might increase due to COVID-19 across the world and if so, the details thereof and the measures taken in this regard;
(b)whether the Ministry is tracking the incidences of Child Labour in the country, if so, the number and of details of child labourers in the country, year-wise and State-wise from 2011-2021;
(c)whether there is existence of child labour helplines set up by the Government, if so, the details number of incidences of child labourers were reported in 2019-2021 along with the State-wise classification;
(d)the details of measures being taken to prevent child labour in the agriculture sector in particular, if any, which the said report of ILO has cited as accounting for 70 per cent of all child labour; and
(e)whether the Government is making efforts to ensure compliance with International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention no.182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, after India ratified it in 2017 and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a): This Ministry is not in receipt of any formal communication from International Labour Organization (ILO) or United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in this regard. However, a report titled “COVID-19 AND CHILD LABOUR: A TIME OF CRISIS, A TIME TO ACT” prepared by ILO and UNICEF is available on the website of ILO.
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(b): The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 was amended in 2016. The amended Act now called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, inter-alia provides for complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation and processes and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. Further, the Act empowers the District Magistrate to implement the provisions of the Act. As such, the data pertaining to Child Labour in the country is not maintained centrally by this Ministry.

(c): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) for supporting the children in difficult circumstances. The scheme supports 24x7 outreach helpline service for children in distress. This service is available through a dedicated toll free number, 1098 which can be accessed by children in crisis or by adults on their behalf from any place in the geographical location of India. The primary responsibility of implementation of the scheme rest with the State Governments/UT Administrations.

(d) & (e): The Government is pursuing multipronged strategy to eliminate child labour and has taken comprehensive measures which include legislative measures, rehabilitation strategy, providing right of free education and general socio-economic development so as to eliminate the incidence of the child labour. The details of statutory and legislative measures, rehabilitation strategy and education are as under:

(i) Government has enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 which came into force w.e.f. 1.9.2016. The amendment also provides stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and made the offence as cognizable.
(ii) Framing of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Central Rules
(iii) Framing of model State Action Plan enumerating action points to be taken by respective State Governments and circulation of the same to all Chief Secretaries.
(iv) The Government is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour.
(v) Ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182.

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