+91-8595390705

ISSUE OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

28 Dec 2023 ISSUE OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

Posted at 13:14h in Daily current-affairs by
0 Likes

UPSC MAINS SYLLABUS GS2: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections

WHY IN NEWS? 

  1. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill development in its 52nd report on ‘National Policy on Child Laborer’s has said that it is “practically not possible” to meet the international commitment to eliminating child labour by 2025.
  2. The report, titled ‘National Policy on Child Labour – An Assessment’, states the country has a long way to go in eliminating child labour, and requires changes to the policies and laws that govern the issue.

ISSUE OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA: 

 

As per the Standing Committee, with increased economic insecurity, lack of social protection and reduced household income, the children from poor households are being pushed to contribute to the family income with the risk of exposure to exploitative work: 

  1. As per International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, Child labour is a form of modern slavery that includes any work which deprives children of their childhood, their potential and that harms their physical or mental development.
  2. The practice includes trafficking, sexual exploitation, debt bondage, and even exploitation in armed conflicts. 
  3. The Constitution of India under Article 24 prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment.
  4. Even then, as per Census of India 2011: There were 10.1 million working children in the age group of 5-14 years out of whom 8.1 million were working  in rural areas mainly engaged as cultivators (26%) and agricultural labourers (32.9%).
  5. According to the latest NSO data available in 2023, Uttar Pradesh has the greatest number of Child Labour accounting to 2.1 million child labourers.
  6. Child labour seems to be more prevalent among boys than girls at every age.

Child labour not only takes away the “Right to Education” & “Dignified life” of children but working in Hazardous factories also exposes them to various health risks. It acts as hindrance for the child to develop essential skills for better opportunities in future and thus catches them in “Poverty trap”. 

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR: 

 

  1. As per the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, they majorly come from traditionally deprived section of society (SC/ST, Tribals, lower income group etc.) 
    1. Thus, they lack access to quality and age-appropriate education, health facilities, employment, and developmental initiatives such as those for poverty alleviation.
    2. The low levels of skills and unemployment of adults, combined with the discrimination that children may face in schools, pushes many of these children to work.
  2. As per Vandana Kandhari of UNICEF: “Urban children are more vulnerable due to economic uncertainty caused by Pandemic & increasing work opportunities in Informal sector”. 
    1. The informal economy often employs them because it is difficult to enforce child Labour laws in the informal sector.
  3. While Orphans get involved to meet their daily needs in absence of Social security cover, Debt trap by moneylenders and Trafficking Mafia further dents children’s future.
  4. Legal and bureaucratic malfunctions and loopholes further worsen the situation: “There are no systems to help reintegrate or rehabilitate the children,” says Soha Moitra, Regional director of Child Rights and You (CRY) foundation. 
  5. Lack of Awareness among parents of the physical, mental, and psychological ill consequences on children further worsens the situation. 

STEPS TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO CURB PRACTISE OF CHILD LABOUR: 

 

As Child labour acts as major hindrance to the Socio-economic welfare of the country, the Government has taken various steps such as: 

  1. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976: prohibits systems of labour where people, including children, work under conditions of servitude to pay off debt, and also provides a framework for rehabilitating released labourers.
  2. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986: It bans the employment of children up to the age of 14 in hazardous occupations.
  3. Further the National Policy on Child Labour 1987 contains an action plan to tackle the problem of child labour.
  4. In 1992, India became the first country to join The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPECL), a global programme launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
  5. The Supreme Court Judgement of 1996 has directed that authorities shall conduct a survey to identify working children, withdrawal of children working in hazardous industries, and ensure they are educated in appropriate institutions.
  6. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012: seeks to prevent commercial sexual exploitation of children.
  7. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015: governs laws relating to children alleged and found to be in conflict with the law
  8. The Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill 2021 provides detailed measures to prevent, protect and rehabilitate victims of trafficking.
  9. Under National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme: the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has been implementing the scheme for the rehabilitation of child labourers (9-14 years of age) through District Project Societies under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee noted that Government’s efforts have bore significant results as number of working children has decreased from 2011 Census. 

SUGGESTIVE MEASURES TO CURB CHILD LABOUR BY 2025: 

 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has given following suggestions to curb the practice of Child Labour in India to achieve Sustainable Development Targets (SDGs): 

  1. Discrepancies in the criteria for determination of the age of the child in various Acts shall be removed and a uniform age shall be set.
  2. The prevailing differences in provisions of offence being cognizable & non-cognizable under the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986 & Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 shall be examined to ensure they do not lead to any delay in securing justice for aggrieved children.
  3. The amount of fine shall be increased by 3-4 times as well as stricter punishment in the form of cancellation of license, attachment of property, etc., shall be incorporated to protect the interests of children.
  4. Further, ensuring universal access to free and quality education for all children under Right to Education Act 2009 shall be given impetus. 
  5. In this regard, collaboration with international organizations, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, to access expertise, technical assistance, and financial resources is necessary. 
  6. Developing and implementing comprehensive rehabilitation programs for rescued child laborers, including access to education, vocational training, healthcare, and psychological support is also must. 
  7. The panel notes that as nearly 80% of child labour in India emanates from rural areas, the Panchayat can play a dominant role in mitigating child labour by generating awareness about the ill-effects of child labour,  encouraging parents to send their children to school & informing industry owners about the laws prohibiting child labour and the penalties for violating these laws. 

WAY FORWARD:

As action taken today will determine the future of children of tomorrow, the Committee impress upon the Labour Ministry to take up the issue in a mission mode and devise a systematic action plan-based policy to meet international commitments, which are not only relevant for economic development of the country but will also brighten the image of the country in international forum.

MAINS PRACTISE QUESTION:

Question: Examine the issue of Child Labour prevalent in India in context of recent Parliamentary report. Suggest any five measures that India shall take to eliminate Child Labour by 2025. (10 marks, 150 words) 

 

 

Tags:
No Comments

Post A Comment