(a)whether the Government has data indicating the number of child labourers recorded in UP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Maharashtra over the last five years;
(b)if so, the details thereof;
(c)whether the Government is aware of the fact that each of the above States accounts for over 10 per cent of total child labourers in India;
(d)whether any measures have been put in place by the Government to prevent children from being recruited for child labour; and
(e)if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)
(a) to (c): As per census 2011, the total number of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years was 43,53,247 of which 8,96,301 were in Uttar Pradesh, 2,52,338 in Rajasthan, 90,996 in Jharkhand and 4,96,916 in Maharashtra.
Contd..2/-
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(d) & (e): The Ministry of Labour and Employment amended Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 in 2016. The amended Act is now called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 which 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. The Act also provides for stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and has made the offence as cognizable. The Rules framed under the Act, provide for District Nodal Officer (DNO) and Task Force at district level under chairpersonship of District Magistrate to ensure that the provisions of the Act are properly enforced.
The Government is also implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour. The children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued / withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care,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 Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
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