(a)the details of occupations and procedures notified as hazardous for child labourers;
(b)whether children are being engaged in such occupations in many parts of the country;
(c)if so, the State-wise and year-wise details of such child labourers engaged in such hazardous works during the last three years and the current year; and
(d)the details of the effective steps taken to check child labour?
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)
(a): The details of occupations/industries including processes which are hazardous for child labour are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II.
(b) to (c): The information in this regard is not maintained centrally.
(d): Child Labour is an outcome of various socio-economic problems such as poverty, economic backwardness and illiteracy. For elimination of child labour, the Government of India stands committed to the elimination of child labour in the country . The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 was amended vide Child Labour
Contd..2/-
:: 2 ::
(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.
After amendment in the Act, the Government has framed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulations) Amendment Rules, 2017 which inter alia specifies the duties and responsibilities of State Government and district authorities.
Government has also devised a Standard Operating Procedure as a ready reckoner for trainers, practitioners and enforcing and monitoring agencies. 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.
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 Under the NCLP, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/ withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health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.
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 functional for better monitoring and implementation of NCLP, thereby ensuring timely disposal of work with transparency
** *****