Lok Sabha Question No. 1260 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-02
Subject: Eradication of Child Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKAR, HARIOM SINGH RATHORE, NITYANAND RAI, OM BIRLA, MANOJ RAJORIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1260

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.05.2016

## ERADICATION OF CHILD LABOUR

## 1260. SHRI RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKER:

SHRI HARIOM SINGH RATHORE:

SHRI NITYANAND RAI:

SHRI OM BIRLA:

DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

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

- (a)whether  the  child  labour  is  still  prevalent  in  the  country  despite stringent laws in force in this regard and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b)the  details  and  number  of  child  labourers  rescued  during  the  last three  years  in  the  country  State/UT-wise  including  Uttar  Pradesh, sector-wise particularly hazardous factories;
- (c)the  number  of  child  labourers  rehabilitated  under  National  Child Labour Projects (NCLP) scheme during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise including Rajasthan;
- (d)whether  the  Government  has  launched/proposed  to  launch  any scheme/plan for proper identification and better rehabilitation of the rescued children and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)whether  the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship also assists such children for increasing their skill development?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

- (a): The number of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years in the country is 43.53 lakh as per 2011 Census which shows a decline from 2001 Census.
- (b) & (c): The  number  of  child  labourers  rescued/withdrawn  from work,  rehabilitated  and  mainstreamed  under  National  Child  Labour Project  Scheme  during  the  last  three  years,  State-wise  including Rajasthan, are given at  Annexure.

(d) & (e): Government is following a multi-pronged strategy. It comprises  of  statutory  and  legislative  measures,  rehabilitation  of children withdrawn from work through specific scheme and universal elementary education along with convergence with other schemes for socio-economic development. Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children below 14 years of age in  certain  occupations  and  processes  and  regulates  the  working conditions  of  children  in  employment  where  they  are  not  prohibited. Further,  a  Bill  to  amend  the  Child  Labour  (Prohibition  &  Regulation) Act,  1986  has  been  introduced  in  Rajya  Sabha  in  2012.  Government has decided to move Official Amendments to the Bill. The Amendment Bill along with Official Amendments,  inter-alia,  covers  complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years, linking the age of  prohibition  with  the  age  under  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, making the punishment for employers more stringent, the offence made cognizable for employers on employing any child or adolescent in contravention of the Act and Constitution  of  Child  and  Adolescent  Rehabilitation  Fund  in  the  Act itself to carry out rehabilitation activities.

For rehabilitation of rescued children, Government is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme since 1988. Children rescued/withdrawn from work in the age group of 9-14 years are enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centres, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, mid day meal, stipend,  health  care,  etc.  before  being  mainstreamed  into  formal education system. Children in the age group of 5-8 years are directly linked to the formal educational system through a close coordination with  the  SarvaShikshaAbhiyan  (SSA).  Vocational  training  has  been given  emphasis  in  the  scheme.  The  District  Project  Society  can identify a vocational trainer who will conduct skill/vocational training modules in the special training centres according to a pre-determined schedule approved by the District Project Society. Ministry of Labour& Employment has also issued guidelines which include convergence by the  State  Governments  of  the  various  financial  aid  schemes  for children for vocational training.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (b)  &  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1260 RAISED BY SHRI RAJESH KUMAR DIWAKER & OTHERS  FOR  ANSWER  ON  02.05.2016  REGARDING  ERADICATION  OF  CHILD LABOUR.

No.  of  children  rescued/withdrawn  from  work,  rehabilitated  and  mainstreamed under National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme during the last three years, State-wise  (based  on  the  available  information  received  from  District  Project Societies):

| Sl. No.   | State           | 2013-14   |   2014-15 |   2015-16 (as on 31.12.2015**) |
|-----------|-----------------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh# | 5715      |       346 |                            490 |
| 2         | Assam           | 0         |        60 |                           9346 |
| 3         | Bihar           | 3736      |     14028 |                           2656 |
| 4         | Chhattisgarh    | 8034      |     10173 |                              0 |
| 5         | Gujarat         | 453       |       892 |                              0 |
| 6         | Haryana         | 631       |      2583 |                              0 |
| 7         | Jammu & Kashmir | 469       |         0 |                             10 |
| 8         | Jharkhand       | 1028      |      2989 |                           3450 |
| 9         | Karnataka       | 2391      |      2519 |                           1227 |
| 10        | Madhya Pradesh  | 8323      |      7879 |                           7472 |
| 11        | Maharashtra     | 5614      |      3804 |                           2080 |
| 12        | Odisha          | 6114      |     21315 |                           1900 |
| 13        | Punjab          | 957       |       290 |                            613 |
| 14        | Rajasthan       | 3585      |      3349 |                              0 |
| 15        | Tamil Nadu      | 3436      |      4492 |                           3373 |
| 16        | Telangana       | -         |      2691 |                           1637 |
| 17        | Uttar Pradesh   | 7310      |     16277 |                              0 |
| 18        | West Bengal     | 6254      |     22689 |                           3436 |
| 19        | Uttarakhand     | -         |       145 |                              0 |
| 20        | Nagaland        | -         |       436 |                              0 |
|           | Total           | 64050     |    116957 |                          37690 |

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