Lok Sabha Question No. 1085 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Data of Child Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri K Gopinath

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1085

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2025

## DATA OF CHILD LABOURERS

1085. SHRI K GOPINATH:

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

- (a)whether the Government relies solely on census data to ascertain the number of child labourers in the country, and if so, the reasons for not conducting independent surveys;
- (b)whether the Government has considered including data of children aged 14-18 years in the next census and the progress made in this regard, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)whether the Government has issued directions to States/UTs for regular surveys, enforcement, data collection and development of State Action Plans; and
- (d)the steps being taken by the Government to improve monitoring, enforcement and elimination of child labour, particularly in urban areas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a) to (d): Labour  is  under  the  concurrent  list  and  States  /  Union Territories (UTs)  are important stakeholders for implementation of the  Child  and  Adolescent  labour  (Prohibition  and  Regulation)  Act, 1986.    Under the Child and Adolescent (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986, the powers and duties to carry out the provisions of the Act have been conferred to District Magistrates. The Ministry of Labour and Employment issues direction/ advisories to States/UTs from time to time for strict enforcement of the Act.

The details of steps to improve monitoring, enforcement and elimination of child labour are as under:

Contd..2/-

- (i) Enactment of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)  Act,  1986.      The  Act  inter-alia  covers  complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years of age in any occupation or process and prohibition of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes. It also provides for stricter punishment  for employers  for  violation  of  the  Act  and  made  the  offence  as cognizable.
- (ii) Framing  of  the  Child  and  Adolescent  Labour  (Prohibition  and Regulation)  Rules,  1988.  The  Rules  inter  -alia,  provide  for District  Nodal  Officer(DNO)  and  Task  Force  at  district  level under chairpersonship of District Magistrate to ensure that the provisions of the Act are properly enforced.
- (iii) Framing of model State Action Plan enumerating action points to be taken by respective State Governments.
- (iv) Implementation of National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child labour, which has now been subsumed under Samagara Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Scheme of the Ministry of Education.

The report of census is published by the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI).   The information in census is collected for all persons irrespective of their age, sex, caste, creed, region, origin or religion.  During census, the information is collected on  type  of  workers  i.e.  main  workers,  marginal  workers  and  nonworkers for the entire population, including those below 14 years.

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