Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Child labour involves children being compelled to participate in economically beneficial activities
either part-time or full-time, depriving them of basic childhood experiences like education and
causing physical and mental harm. Poverty, inadequate schooling, and the expansion of the
informal economy are primary factors driving child labour . Victims of child labour lack a
supportive environment for healthy growth and often endure lifelong physical and psychological
scars. In addition to the absence of education, they are vulnerable to various forms of abuse,
hindering their ability to thrive into happy, healthy adults.
Child Labour & India
Engaging in child labour obstructs both the mental and physical growth of children by robbing
them of their crucial childhood years. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986
strictly prohibits the employment of children aged 14 or below in hazardous occupations, with the
list of such occupations outlined within the act.
Government initiatives include:
1. 1979 - The Gurupadswamy Committee was established to study and tackle the child labour
issue.
2. 1986 - Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted.
3. 2016 - Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act prohibits employment
of children below the age of 14 years.
4. 2017 - Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules – broad framework
against child labour.
The government has established numerous regulations to enforce the prohibition of child labour
and is actively working to eradicate this practice. The Gurupadswamy Committee, formed in 1979
by the Central Government of India, identified poverty as the primary cause of child labour in the
country. The committee’s findings led to the enactment of the Child Labour (Prohibition &
Regulation) Act of 1986 by the union government.
The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act of 2016 is a modification of the
1986 Act, imposing a complete ban on the employment of underage children, especially in
hazardous conditions or occupations. It also links the prohibition of employment with access to
free education, in accordance with the Right to Education Act of 2009.
India, as the 170th member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), has ratified Convention
No. 138, which mandates setting a minimum age for employment, and Convention No. 182, which
requires the elimination and prohibition of extreme forms of child labour, such as trafficking,
involvement in armed conflict, prostitution, and engagement in illicit activities.
The INDUS Project, a collaboration between the Government of India and the US Department of
Labour, aims to prevent and eliminate child labour, particularly in hazardous occupations, under
the auspices of the ILO-IPEC (International Labour Organization- International Programme on the
Elimination of Child Labour).
The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme, initiated by the central government of India,
focuses on rehabilitating child labourers and integrating them into formal education through
vocational training provided at NCLP Centers.
The child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act
The child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act enacted in 1986 defines a child as an individual
below the age of 14. Its objectives are to oversee the working hours and conditions of child
labourers while prohibiting their engagement in hazardous industry.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act of 2016
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act of 2016 can be summarized as
follows: “An Act to forbid the involvement of children in any occupations and to forbid the
involvement of adolescents in hazardous occupations and processes, along with related matters.”
This amendment entails harsher penalties for employers breaching the Act, making such actions
punishable by law. Additionally, it renders the act of employing a child or adolescent in violation
of the Act a cognizable offense. Furthermore, the Act empowers the government to prohibit the
employment of adolescents in any hazardous conditions.
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules,2017.
After thorough consultation with stakeholders, the Government of India has decided to introduce
further amendments to the Act. The provisions outlined in the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Amendment Rules include:
• Establishing a comprehensive framework for the prevention, prohibition, rescue, and
rehabilitation of both children and adolescent workers.
• Providing clarity on issues concerning family enterprises.
• Offering protections for creative workers or artists authorized to work under the Act,
particularly regarding their working hours and conditions.
• Defining specific duties and responsibilities for law enforcement agencies to ensure the
effective implementation and adherence to the Act.
Child labour encompasses various forms, including but not limited to:
• All forms of slavery or practices akin to slavery, such as the sale or trafficking of children,
debt bondage, and forced or compulsory labour.
• The forced or compulsory recruitment of children for involvement in armed conflict.
• Exploitation of children for prostitution, pornography production, or pornographic
performances.
• Utilization of children in illicit activities, particularly in the production and trafficking of
drugs as defined in relevant international treaties.
• Any work that, due to its nature or the conditions under which it is performed, is likely to
jeopardize the health, safety, and morals of children.
The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme
The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme, a central government initiative, aims to
address child labour more effectively by focusing on specific targeted strategies. These include
identifying child labour victims, removing them from hazardous situations, facilitating their
rehabilitation, and raising awareness about NCLP and other child labour-related agencies among
the families of child labourers.
The objectives of the NCLP are as follows:
• Identifying children engaged in labour within the project area.
Removing these identified children from labour.
• Preparing withdrawn children for mainstream education by providing necessary vocational
training.
• Ensuring that they benefit from various services provided by different governments and
agencies.
• Withdrawing adolescent children from hazardous situations or occupations by identifying
and removing them from the project area.
• Providing training programs for these adolescents through existing skill development
schemes.
• Raising awareness among target communities and stakeholders about child labour and the
functions of the NCLP.
• Establishing a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking, and Reporting System to monitor the
situation continuously.
NCLP Target Group:
NCLP’s target group includes all child workers below the age of 14 and adolescent workers below
18 engaged in hazardous occupations within the designated areas, as well as the families of these
child workers. Efforts will be made to transition children into local schools through bridging
programs. Adolescent children involved in hazardous work will receive skill enhancement training
and be transitioned to non-hazardous work. The government will ensure the delivery of income,
stipends, employment opportunities, or social security to the families of child workers.
Additionally, the tracking of rescued child workers will be conducted to assess the impact of
interventions. Child labor laws will be strengthened as needed in the relevant areas.
NCLP Highlights/Features:
• Government involvement in identifying, categorizing, eliminating, and withdrawing
children and adolescents from hazardous occupations.
• Successful integration of rescued children into local schools, supported by affiliation with
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
• Provision of additional skill enhancement training for adolescents, facilitating their
transition to approved occupations.
• Enhanced awareness programs aimed at educating communities and the wider Indian
population.
• Compensation measures for families releasing their children from work to attend training
or school.
• Organization of mothers of victimized children into self-help groups (SHGs) is common
practice.
NCLP Implementation:
• The scheme has been effectively executed through collaborative efforts involving civil
society, state, and district administration.
• Responsibility for implementation is shared between the respective state governments and
the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Initially launched in areas with high instances of child labour, the scheme establishes
specific
• District Project Societies (DPSs) at the district level to ensure comprehensive
implementation.
• DPSs are also tasked with disbursing stipends to children and their families.
PENCIL PORTAL
In 2017, the government launched a distinctive online platform called PENCIL (Platform for
Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour) under the NCLP scheme:
• Its purpose is to ensure the efficient and straightforward implementation of the scheme.
• PENCIL comprises a Child Tracking System and a Complaint Corner.
• The portal facilitates connectivity between the Central Government, respective State
Governments, districts, all project societies, and the general public.
• It allows anyone to report incidents of child labour.
• Upon receiving a complaint, the system automatically assigns it to the relevant Nodal
officer for further action.
• To date, the portal has received a total of 1010 complaints, with 361 being resolved by
the Nodal officers.
Benefits of NCLP:
The total number of children reintegrated into mainstream education through Special Training
Centers established under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme is 13.63 lakh since
its inception.
Key benefits of this scheme include:
• Contributing to the identification and elimination of all forms of child labour.
• Assisting in the identification and removal of adolescents from hazardous occupations
and processes within the targeted areas.
• Raising awareness about the harmful effects of child labour.
• Successfully integrating all rescued children into regular schools after their withdrawal
from child labour and rehabilitation through NCLPS.
• Providing necessary skills training to adolescents withdrawn from hazardous
occupations/processes and connecting them with legally permissible occupations when
needed.
• Educating communities, specific target groups, and the general public about child
labour through the Social Mobilization Programme.
• Strengthening the capacity to address the issue of child labour by training NCLP staff
and other personnel involved.
International regulations regarding child labour are outlined as follows:
• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, established in 1989, emphasizes that
children are not mere possessions of their parents, but individuals with inherent rights.
• Childhood is recognized as a distinct phase lasting until the age of 18, during which
children deserve protection and opportunities for growth, learning, play, and development.
• This convention, widely ratified, has had a profound impact on improving the lives of
children globally.
• Additionally, the International Labour Organization has conventions specifying the
minimum age for employment (Convention 138, 1973) and addressing the worst forms of
child labour (Convention 182, 1999).
UNICEF’s work against Child Labour in India
UNICEF has long been dedicated to combating child labour in India. Its initiatives target children
engaged in various types of labour, such as cotton production in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, metalwork and carpet weaving in Uttar Pradesh, and
tea plantation work in Assam. These efforts extend to tens of thousands of children and their
families residing in regions with prevalent child labour practices.
MCQ
1. What is the primary factor driving child labour according to the article?
A) Lack of parental supervision
B) Inadequate schooling
C) Availability of part-time jobs
D) Government regulations
Answer: B) Inadequate schooling
2. Which committee was established in 1979 to study and tackle the issue of child labour?
A) The Gurupadswamy Committee
B) The Child Welfare Committee
C) The Labour Reform Committee
D) The Education Commission
Answer: A) The Gurupadswamy Committee
3. What does the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 prohibit?
A) Employment of children aged 12 and below
B) Employment of children aged 14 and below in hazardous occupations
C) Employment of children aged 16 and below in any occupation
D) Employment of children aged 18 and below
Answer: B) Employment of children aged 14 and below in hazardous occupations
4. When was the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act enacted?
A) 1979
B) 1986
C) 2016
D) 2017
Answer: C) 2016
5. What is the main objective of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment
Act of 2016?
A) To legalize child labour
B) To provide free education to child labourers
C) To impose harsher penalties on employers violating child labour laws
D) To increase the minimum age for employment
Answer: C) To impose harsher penalties on employers violating child labour laws
6. Which international organization has India ratified Convention No. 138 and Convention
No. 182 with?
A) UNESCO
B) UNICEF
C) WHO
D) ILO
Answer: D) ILO
7. What is the INDUS Project aimed at?
A) Promoting child labour in hazardous occupations
B) Preventing and eliminating child labour in hazardous occupations
C) Providing financial support to child labourers
D) Advocating for child labour rights
Answer: B) Preventing and eliminating child labour in hazardous occupations
8. Which government scheme focuses on rehabilitating child labourers and integrating them
into formal education?
A) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
B) National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme
C) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
D) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Answer: B) National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme
9. What is the target group of the NCLP Scheme?
A) Adolescent workers above 18 years old
B) Children aged 14 and above
C) Child workers below 14 and adolescent workers below 18 engaged in hazardous occupations
D) Children above 16 years old
Answer: C) Child workers below 14 and adolescent workers below 18 engaged in hazardous
occupations
10. What is the purpose of the PENCIL portal launched in 2017?
A) To facilitate child labour
B) To report incidents of child labour
C) To provide vocational training to children
D) To promote child labour laws
Answer: B) To report incidents of child labour
11. How many complaints have been resolved by the Nodal officers through the PENCIL
portal?
A) 101
B) 201
C) 361
D) 461
Answer: C) 361
12. What is a key benefit of the NCLP Scheme?
A) Legalizing child labour
B) Raising awareness about child labour
C) Integrating child labourers into formal education
D) Providing financial support to employers
Answer: C) Integrating child labourers into formal education
13. According to international regulations, until what age is childhood recognized as a distinct
phase?
A) 12
B) 14
C) 16
D) 18
Answer: D) 18
14. What is one of UNICEF’s initiatives in combating child labour in India?
A) Promotion of child labour
B) Legalization of child labour
C) Providing financial incentives for child labour
D) Targeted interventions in regions with prevalent child labour practices
Answer: D) Targeted interventions in regions with prevalent child labour practices
15. What is the primary factor driving child labour according to the article?
A) Inadequate schooling
B) Availability of part-time jobs
C) Government regulations
D) Parental supervision
Answer: A) Inadequate schooling.
Model Questions
• Explain the factors driving child labour in India and how they contribute to the problem.
• What are the key initiatives taken by the Indian government to combat child labour, and
how do they aim to address the issue?
• Describe the objectives of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 and
its significance in protecting children’s rights.
• Discuss the main provisions and objectives of the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Amendment Act of 2016.
• Explain the purpose and goals of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme,
highlighting its targeted strategies.
• What is the target group of the NCLP Scheme, and how does it aim to support children and
adolescents engaged in hazardous occupations?
• Describe the implementation process of the NCLP Scheme and the roles of different
stakeholders involved.
• How does the PENCIL portal facilitate the enforcement of child labour laws in India?
Discuss its key features.
• What are the benefits of the NCLP Scheme in reintegrating children into mainstream
education and addressing various forms of child labour?
• Explain the significance of international regulations, such as the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child and ILO conventions, in combating child labour globally.
• How has UNICEF contributed to combating child labour in India? Provide examples of its
initiatives in different regions.
• Compare and contrast the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 and its
2016 amendment in terms of their provisions and impact on child labour.
• Analyze the role of government initiatives, such as the INDUS Project and the NCLP
Scheme, in preventing and eliminating child labour in India.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the NCLP Scheme in rehabilitating child labourers and
integrating them into formal education.
• Discuss the challenges and future prospects of combating child labour in India, considering
the existing legal framework and government initiatives.