MINISTER OF STEEL, MINES, LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.7 FOR ANSWER ON 7.7.2014 BY SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ REGARDING CHILD LABOUR.
(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. Child Labour is an outcome of various socio-economic problems such as poverty, economic backwardness and illiteracy. However, the total number of working children in the country has declined from 1.26 crore as per the Census 2001 to 43.53 lakh as per Census 2011. The state-wise and UT wise details of working children in the age group of 5 to 14 years as per Census 2011 are at Annexure-I.
(c): As per the data received from various States/UTs, the State wise and UT wise details of violations detected, prosecutions launched and convictions made against the guilty employers under Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 during the last three years are at Annexure-II.
(d): Considering the magnitude and nature of problem of child labour, Government is following a multi-pronged strategy. It comprises of statutory and legislative measures, rescue & rehabilitation, universal primary education alongwith social protection, poverty alleviation and employment generation. The objective is to create an environment where families are not compelled to send their children to work. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 Occupations and 65 Processes. The Act also regulates the working conditions of children where they are not prohibited from working. Any person who employs a child in any occupation or process where employment of children is prohibited under the Child Labour Act is liable for punishment with imprisonment or with fine. Central Government is the appropriate authority for enforcement of Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 in respect of establishments under the control of Central Government or a railway administration or a major port or a mine or oil field and in all other cases, the State Government. For rehabilitation of child labour, the Government is implementing the National Child Labour Project Scheme since 1988. The scheme seeks educational rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes. Under the Project, children rescued/withdrawn from work are enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid day meal, stipend, health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.
To make the provisions of Child Labour Law more stringent, Government is amending the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012 has already been placed in the Parliament. The Amendment Bill inter-alia covers
(i) complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years and linking the age of the prohibition with the age under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009
(ii) prohibition of working of Adolescents (14 to 18 years) in mines, inflammable substances or explosives and hazardous processes as defined in the Factories Act, 1948 and
(iii) stricter punishment to the offenders and making the offences under the Act cognizable. The report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour on the proposed amendments has been examined and the views of the Ministry have been placed on the Ministry’s website for Stakeholder consultation.
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