Child Labour in India
India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in the world today.
According to the Census 2001, there were 12.7 million economically active children in
the age-group of 5-14 years. The number was 11. 3 million during 1991 (Population
Census) thus showing an increase in the number of child labourers. Workers in general
are classified into main and marginal workers1 by the population census. Census data
shows that there is a decline in the absolute number as well the percentage of children
(5-14) to total population in that age group, classified as main workers from 4.3 percent
in 1991 to 2.3 percent in 2001. But there was a substantial increase in marginal workers
in every category of worker irrespective of sex and residence. As a result, despite the
number of main workers declining from 9.08 million in 1991 to 5.78 million in 2001, the
total number of children in the work force increased. A large part of the increase was
accounted for by the increase in marginal workers, which increased from 2.2 million in
1991 to 6.89 million in 2001. The trends between 1991 and 2001 of declining main child
workers along with increasing marginal workers may indicate the changing nature of
work done by children. This is also to be seen in the context of decelerating employment
growth in general in the economy during the last decade.
According to NSSO estimates WPR for children in the 5-9 age group is negligible and for
children in the age group of 10-14, it still continues to be significant though declining.
Magnitude of Child Labour across States
There is across the board decline in the incidence of child labour in the Southern and
Western Indian States and UTs between 1991 and 2001. However, there has been an
increasing trend in the Eastern and North Indian States and UTs. While the Kerala and
Tamil Nadu stories are well known, it is heartening to see that the state of Andhra
Pradesh, that had a dubious distinction of having the largest child labour force in the
country, shows very remarkable reduction in work-force participation, along with a
dramatic increase in the enrollment of children in school.
Surprising is the case of Himachal Pradesh, which has shown significant increases in
school attendance and in literacy levels.2 However, there is a dramatic increase in the
percentage of children in the age-group 5-14 years who are classified as workers, both
main and marginal
EXISTING PROGRAMMES FOR REHABILITATION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 Legal Framework
As per Article 24 of the Constitution, no child below the age of 14 years is to be
employed in any factory, mine or any hazardous employment. Further, Article 39
requires the States to direct its policy towards ensuring that the tender age of children is
not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their age or strength. Recently, with the insertion of Article 21A, the State
has been entrusted with the task of providing free and compulsory education to all the
children in the age group of 6-14 years. Consistent with the Constitutional provisions,
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986, which seeks to
prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes
and regulates the working conditions in other employments. In the last 5 years, the
number of hazardous processes listed in the schedule of the Act has increased from 18 to
57 and occupations from 7 to 13.
2 National Child Labour Programme
A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in 1987 which emphasised the need
for strict enforcement measures in areas of high child labour concentration. In order to
translate the above policy into action, the Government of India initiated the National
Child Labour Project Scheme in 1988 to rehabilitate the working children starting with
12 child labour endemic districts of the country. Under the Scheme, working children are
identified through child labour survey, withdrawn from work and put into the special
schools, so as to provide them with enabling environment to join mainstream education
system. In these Special Schools, besides formal education, they are provided stipend @
Rs.100/- per month, nutrition, vocational training and regular health check ups. In
addition, efforts are also made to target the families of these children so as to cover them
under various developmental and income/employment generation programmes of the
Government. The Scheme also envisages awareness generation campaigns against the
evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws.
It is seen that the level of enforcement in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra & West Bengal is encouraging, whereas that in UP, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh & Orissa it is very low.
However, so far only 3,74,255 children have been mainstreamed under the Scheme.
3 ILO-International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
ILO launched IPEC Programme in 1991 to contribute to the effective abolition of child
labour in the world. India was the first country to sign MOU in 1992. The INDUS Project
envisages direct interventions in the identified 21 districts spread across five states for
identification and rehabilitation of child labour. The strategy under the project is to
complement and build up on the existing government initiatives.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ABOLITION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOUR
2 AMENDMENT TO THE CHILD LABOUR (PROHIBITION AND
REGULATION) ACT 1986
3 A NEW NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR ERADICATION POLICY
4 REVISED NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME (NCLP)
4.1. Transitional Education Centres
4.2 Migrant children
4.3. NCLP Project Society at District level
4.4. Social Mobilisation
4.5. Social Mobilisers
4.6 Survey of child labour
5 .SYNERGY BETWEEN ALL CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS
5.1. Department of Labour
5.2. Department of Education
5.3. Department of Home/Police
5.4. Department of Youth Affairs
5.5. Department of Panchayat Raj
5.6. Department of Women and Child Development
5.7. Involvement of Judiciary
5.8. Role of Gram Panchayats
5.9 Vocational Training for children in 15-18 years age group
6. TRAININGS
Youth volunteers, gram panchayats, school teachers, officers of labour department
and so on must all be given training about child labour and their respective roles in
abolition of child labour. Training modules are to be prepared on the issue of child
labour and education. All the participants must have a legal literacy and have a full
knowledge of children’s rights and their entitlements, the role of various
departments, and awareness of the schemes and programs meant for children.
7. STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES FOR MONITORING RESCUE, RELEASE
AND MAINSTREAMING OF CHILDREN
7.1 Formation of Task Force at Block/District level
7.2Constitution of State Monitoring Committee to review problems and issue specific
guidelines and circulars.
7.3National Committee to Review Program
7.4 Inter ministerial committee
India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in the world today.
According to the Census 2001, there were 12.7 million economically active children in
the age-group of 5-14 years. The number was 11. 3 million during 1991 (Population
Census) thus showing an increase in the number of child labourers. Workers in general
are classified into main and marginal workers1 by the population census. Census data
shows that there is a decline in the absolute number as well the percentage of children
(5-14) to total population in that age group, classified as main workers from 4.3 percent
in 1991 to 2.3 percent in 2001. But there was a substantial increase in marginal workers
in every category of worker irrespective of sex and residence. As a result, despite the
number of main workers declining from 9.08 million in 1991 to 5.78 million in 2001, the
total number of children in the work force increased. A large part of the increase was
accounted for by the increase in marginal workers, which increased from 2.2 million in
1991 to 6.89 million in 2001. The trends between 1991 and 2001 of declining main child
workers along with increasing marginal workers may indicate the changing nature of
work done by children. This is also to be seen in the context of decelerating employment
growth in general in the economy during the last decade.
According to NSSO estimates WPR for children in the 5-9 age group is negligible and for
children in the age group of 10-14, it still continues to be significant though declining.
Magnitude of Child Labour across States
There is across the board decline in the incidence of child labour in the Southern and
Western Indian States and UTs between 1991 and 2001. However, there has been an
increasing trend in the Eastern and North Indian States and UTs. While the Kerala and
Tamil Nadu stories are well known, it is heartening to see that the state of Andhra
Pradesh, that had a dubious distinction of having the largest child labour force in the
country, shows very remarkable reduction in work-force participation, along with a
dramatic increase in the enrollment of children in school.
Surprising is the case of Himachal Pradesh, which has shown significant increases in
school attendance and in literacy levels.2 However, there is a dramatic increase in the
percentage of children in the age-group 5-14 years who are classified as workers, both
main and marginal
EXISTING PROGRAMMES FOR REHABILITATION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 Legal Framework
As per Article 24 of the Constitution, no child below the age of 14 years is to be
employed in any factory, mine or any hazardous employment. Further, Article 39
requires the States to direct its policy towards ensuring that the tender age of children is
not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their age or strength. Recently, with the insertion of Article 21A, the State
has been entrusted with the task of providing free and compulsory education to all the
children in the age group of 6-14 years. Consistent with the Constitutional provisions,
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986, which seeks to
prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes
and regulates the working conditions in other employments. In the last 5 years, the
number of hazardous processes listed in the schedule of the Act has increased from 18 to
57 and occupations from 7 to 13.
2 National Child Labour Programme
A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in 1987 which emphasised the need
for strict enforcement measures in areas of high child labour concentration. In order to
translate the above policy into action, the Government of India initiated the National
Child Labour Project Scheme in 1988 to rehabilitate the working children starting with
12 child labour endemic districts of the country. Under the Scheme, working children are
identified through child labour survey, withdrawn from work and put into the special
schools, so as to provide them with enabling environment to join mainstream education
system. In these Special Schools, besides formal education, they are provided stipend @
Rs.100/- per month, nutrition, vocational training and regular health check ups. In
addition, efforts are also made to target the families of these children so as to cover them
under various developmental and income/employment generation programmes of the
Government. The Scheme also envisages awareness generation campaigns against the
evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws.
It is seen that the level of enforcement in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra & West Bengal is encouraging, whereas that in UP, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh & Orissa it is very low.
However, so far only 3,74,255 children have been mainstreamed under the Scheme.
3 ILO-International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
ILO launched IPEC Programme in 1991 to contribute to the effective abolition of child
labour in the world. India was the first country to sign MOU in 1992. The INDUS Project
envisages direct interventions in the identified 21 districts spread across five states for
identification and rehabilitation of child labour. The strategy under the project is to
complement and build up on the existing government initiatives.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ABOLITION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOUR
2 AMENDMENT TO THE CHILD LABOUR (PROHIBITION AND
REGULATION) ACT 1986
3 A NEW NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR ERADICATION POLICY
4 REVISED NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME (NCLP)
4.1. Transitional Education Centres
4.2 Migrant children
4.3. NCLP Project Society at District level
4.4. Social Mobilisation
4.5. Social Mobilisers
4.6 Survey of child labour
5 .SYNERGY BETWEEN ALL CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS
5.1. Department of Labour
5.2. Department of Education
5.3. Department of Home/Police
5.4. Department of Youth Affairs
5.5. Department of Panchayat Raj
5.6. Department of Women and Child Development
5.7. Involvement of Judiciary
5.8. Role of Gram Panchayats
5.9 Vocational Training for children in 15-18 years age group
6. TRAININGS
Youth volunteers, gram panchayats, school teachers, officers of labour department
and so on must all be given training about child labour and their respective roles in
abolition of child labour. Training modules are to be prepared on the issue of child
labour and education. All the participants must have a legal literacy and have a full
knowledge of children’s rights and their entitlements, the role of various
departments, and awareness of the schemes and programs meant for children.
7. STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES FOR MONITORING RESCUE, RELEASE
AND MAINSTREAMING OF CHILDREN
7.1 Formation of Task Force at Block/District level
7.2Constitution of State Monitoring Committee to review problems and issue specific
guidelines and circulars.
7.3National Committee to Review Program
7.4 Inter ministerial committee
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