Child Labour in India

Child Labour has been a major area of concern for all the developing countries. But for a country with second largest population in the world it remains a key area to be looked upon to improvise the country’s future.

·        The 1998 national census of India estimated the total number of child labourers, aged 4 to 15, to be at 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in the 5 to 14 age group. However, in 2009–10 a nationwide survey found the prevalence of child labour had reduced to 4.98 million children (or less than 2% of the children in the 5 to 14 age group).

·       The 2011 national census of India found the total number of child labourers, aged 5–14, to be at 4.35 million,] and the total child population to be 259.64 million in that age group. The child labour problem is not unique to India; worldwide, about 217 million children work, many full-time.

Guidelines for Child Labour:-

·       The law in Indian soil says that any child below age of 14 cannot be employed either in a factory or office or restaurant. In fact, India’s international business has been severely affected in many cases because child labors, violating human rights, have been used in some stage or the other in manufacturing, packaging a transport of those items. And, in a large number of cases of export of ready-made garments, prawn and several other items from India has been rejected on grounds of child labor being used.              

·       Truly speaking child labor is frequently utilized in India in various places of production and service e.g., small scale industry, restaurant service, domestic aid, shopkeeper’s assistant, stone breaking, book binding, in fact in every house-hold industry.

STEPS TAKEN BY UNICEF IN INDIA:-

Over the past two decades India has put in place a range of laws and programmes to address the problem of child labour. UNICEF and its India partners are working together to ensure that children are protected from work and exploitation which is harmful to their development They are working to ensure that children remain in economically stable family homes and get the opportunity to go to school and be educated. Child labour cannot be dealt with in isolation. It is intrinsically linked to socio-economic factors. More specifically, UNICEF has also initiated work with employers and the private sector to assess and address the impact of their supply chain and business practices on children. 

UNICEF IN ACTION:-

UNICEF has long experience in working against child labour in India. Most programmes focus on children in specific types of work, for example cotton production in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, metalwork and carpets in Uttar Pradesh and tea gardens in Assam. These programmes reach tens of thousands of children and their families in areas with high levels of child labour.

UNICEF has been working to reduce and eliminate child labour using a combination of the following strategies:

·         Reform of existing legislation, for example setting a minimum age for child labour, that brings policy coherence.  Law enforcement to ensure the implementation of the Child labour Act,

.         Expanding education access, improving quality and relevance of education, addressing violence in schools,

.         Awareness-raising and mobilization of families and communities against the exploitation of children,

·         Social protection programmes and cash transfers to improve the economic situation of families and to reduce the “need” to send children to work, Strengthening child protection systems, including the Integrated Child Protection Scheme and implementation of Juvenile Justice Act,

·         Working towards convergence between government departments to prevent child labour and rehabilitate existing child labourers.

STEPS TAKEN BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT:-

India moves to ban all forms of Child Labour

On 28 August 2012  Cabinet approves the new Child & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition) Act (accepts the demands of Bachpan Bachao Andolan for a child labour free India)

This will only allow employing children between 14-18 years in non-hazardous industries like forest gathering, child care etc. Children between 14-18 years have been defined as "adolescents" in the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition) Bill, 2012. Employing a child below 14 years in any kind of occupation is set to become a cognizable offence, punishable with a maximum three years imprisonment or fine up to a maximum of Rs. 50,000 (~US$ 900).

CONCLUSION:-

If the boy or girl takes up a small job as a domestic help or restaurant boy against a nominal salary of Rs. 750-1800 per month, he does not get enough time time for primary and secondary education and is most likely to remain completely illiterate, unskilled, perhaps with a weak health and will have to remain unemployed or be engaged as an unskilled labor when he is grown up. Hence in his own benefit and interest no child should be engaged as labor both from legal point of view as well as the child’s future interest. 

Let us be a part of Nation Building

Stop cruelty against Childrens

Stop Child Labour

JAI HIND!!!!