Question : Child Labour

(a)whether the Government has taken cognizance of the fact that child labour is still prevalent and increasing in many parts of the country despite the ban on child labour and if so, the details thereof, State/ UT-wise along with reasons for such increase;
(b)the details of the provisions fixed by the Government for action against convicts of child labour and the number of cases of child labour reported during the last three years and steps taken/being taken to completely avoid and check child labour in the country with some action plan in coordination with States;
(c)the extent to which the Government has succeeded/achieved to control/stop child labour in the country; and
(d)whether the Government proposes to formulate any legislation/laws in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a) to (d): Child Labour is an outcome of various socio-economic problems such as poverty, economic backwardness and illiteracy.
As per 2011 Census, the number of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years in the country is 43.53 lakh which shows a decline from 57.79 lakh as per 2001 Census. State wise details of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years as per Census 2011 is at Annexure-I.
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For elimination of child labour, 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 the stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and has made the offence as cognizable.
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 twenty thousand rupees but which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.
Also whoever employs any adolescent or permits any adolescent to work in contravention of the provisions shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to two years or with fine which shall not be less than twenty thousand rupees but which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.
As per the information received from the States/UTs , the number of violations detected , prosecutions launched and convictions made under the Child Labour Act , State/UT wise , during the last three years is given at annexure –II.
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 and 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 ensuring the timely disposal of work with transparency.
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