Lok Sabha Question No. 2320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-13
Subject: ILO Report Child Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Jayadev Galla, Brijendra Singh, Vishnu Dutt Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2320

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.12.2021

## ILO REPORT CHILD LABOUR

2320. SHRI JAYADEV GALLA: SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH: SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the Ministry has taken note of the ILO report/UNICEF mentioning that child labour might increase due to COVID-19 across the world and if so, the details thereof and the measures taken in this regard;
- (b)whether  the  Ministry  is  tracking  the  incidences  of  Child  Labour  in  the country, if so, the number and of details of child labourers in the country, year-wise and State-wise from 2011-2021;
- (c)whether  there  is  existence  of  child  labour  helplines  set  up  by  the Government,  if  so,  the  details  number  of  incidences  of  child  labourers were reported in 2019-2021 along with the State-wise classification;
- (d)the  details  of  measures  being  taken  to  prevent  child  labour  in  the agriculture  sector  in  particular,  if  any,  which  the  said  report  of  ILO  has cited as accounting for 70 per cent of all child labour; and
- (e)whether  the  Government  is  making  efforts  to  ensure  compliance  with International  Labour  Organization  (ILO)  Convention  no.182  on  the  Worst Forms of Child Labour, after India ratified it in 2017 and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a): This Ministry is not in receipt of any formal communication from International Labour  Organization  (ILO)  or United  Nations  International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in this regard. However, a report titled 'COVID-19 AND CHILD LABOUR: A TIME OF CRISIS, A TIME TO ACT' prepared by ILO and UNICEF is available on the website of ILO.

- (b): The  Child  Labour  (Prohibition  &  Regulation)  Act,  1986    was amended in 2016.   The amended Act now called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, inter-alia provides for complete  prohibition  of  work  or  employment  of  children  below  14  years  of age in any occupation and  processes  and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. Further, the Act empowers the District Magistrate to implement the provisions of the Act.  As  such,  the  data  pertaining  to  Child  Labour  in  the  country  is  not maintained centrally by this Ministry.
- (c): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally  sponsored  Child  Protection  Services  (CPS)  Scheme  (erstwhile Integrated  Child  Protection  Scheme)  for  supporting  the  children  in  difficult circumstances.  The  scheme  supports  24x7  outreach  helpline  service  for children  in  distress.  This  service  is  available  through  a  dedicated  toll  free number,  1098 which  can  be  accessed  by  children  in  crisis  or  by  adults  on their behalf from any place in the geographical location of India. The primary responsibility of implementation of the scheme rest with the State Governments/UT Administrations.
- (d) &  (e): The  Government  is  pursuing  multipronged  strategy  to  eliminate child labour and has taken comprehensive measures which include legislative measures, rehabilitation strategy, providing right of free education and general socio-economic development so as to eliminate the incidence of the child labour. The details of statutory and legislative measures, rehabilitation strategy and education are as under:
- (i) Government has enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment  Act,  2016  which  came  into  force  w.e.f.  1.9.2016.  The amendment  also  provides  stricter  punishment  for  employers  for violation of the Act and made the offence as cognizable.
- (ii) Framing  of  Child  Labour  (Prohibition  and  Regulation)  Amendment Central Rules
- (iii) Framing of model State Action Plan enumerating action points to be taken by respective State Governments and circulation of the same to all Chief Secretaries.
- (iv) The Government is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour.
- (v) Ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182.

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