Lok Sabha Question No. 109 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-18
Subject: Child Labour
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, DHARMENDRA YADAV

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 109 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2016

## CHILD LABOUR

109. SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  child  labour  is  still prevalent in the country despite stringent laws;
- (b)if so, the data of child labours reported in various sectors during the last three years and the current year, sector and State/UT-wise;
- (c)whether the Government has decided to set up any committee to study  the  reasons  and  causes  of  increasing  child  labour  in  the country and for giving suggestions for its eradication and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)whether  the  Government  has  directed  the  State  Governments  to ensure regular inspections/checks in schools, hotels establishments  and  shops  etc.  and  spread  awareness  about  child labour  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reaction  of  the States/UTs thereon; and
- (e)whether the Government proposes to formulate a concrete policy to safeguard the children and eradicate the child labour problem in the country and if so, the details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b):   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.  The  number  of  main  workers  in  the  age group  of  5  to  14  years  as  per  2011  Census,  State-wise  is  given  at Annexure.  The  occupational  sector  wise  data  is  not  available  from 2011 Census.

(c) to (e):   As  per  the  data  from  Census,  the  number  of  working children  in  the  age  group  of  5-14  years  is  declining.  A  Central Monitoring Committee with the representatives from State Governments and other concerned Ministries/Departments for overall supervision  of  the  child  labour  projects,  to  discuss,  analyse,  invite suggestions on eradication of child labour is already in place. Further, Government has recently constituted a Task Force for recommending measures to eradicate child labour.

Government  is  implementing  the  National  Child  Labour Project  (NCLP)  Scheme  for  rehabilitation  of  children  withdrawn  from work. The NCLP  Scheme  also envisages awareness generation campaigns against the evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws.

The  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. Ministry oversees the effective enforcement of the Act through regular monitoring and periodical review of reports sent by State Governments.  As  per  the  information  received  from  States/UTs  the number  of  inspections  carried  out  under  Child  Labour  (Prohibition  & Regulation) Act, 1986 during the last three years is as under:

|   Year |   No. of inspections |
|--------|----------------------|
|   2013 |               230642 |
|   2014 |               269628 |
|   2015 |               146595 |

A Bill to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 has been introduced in Rajya Sabha in 2012. The Government  has  also  decided  to  move  Official  Amendments  to  this Bill.  The  Amendment  Bill  along  with  Official  Amendments,  inter-alia, proposes  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 and constitution of Rehabilitation Fund for rehabilitation activities.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.109 RAISED BY SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT AND OTHERS ANSWER ON 18.7.2016 REGARDING CHILD LABOUR

## State wise details of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years as per Census 2011:

| Sl. No.   | Name of State/UT        |   No. of main workers in the age group of 5-14 years |
|-----------|-------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andaman &Nicobar Island |                                                  999 |
| 2.        | Andhra Pradesh **       |                                               404851 |
| 3.        | Arunachal Pradesh       |                                                 5766 |
| 4.        | Assam                   |                                                99512 |
| 5.        | Bihar                   |                                               451590 |
| 6.        | Chandigarh U.T.         |                                                 3135 |
| 7.        | Chhattisgarh            |                                                63884 |
| 8.        | Dadra &Nagar H.         |                                                 1054 |
| 9.        | Daman &Diu U.T.         |                                                  774 |
| 10.       | Delhi U.T.              |                                                26473 |
| 11.       | Goa                     |                                                 6920 |
| 12.       | Gujarat                 |                                               250318 |
| 13.       | Haryana                 |                                                53492 |
| 14.       | Himachal Pradesh        |                                                15001 |
| 15.       | Jammu &Kashmir          |                                                25528 |
| 16.       | Jharkhand               |                                                90996 |
| 17.       | Karnataka               |                                               249432 |
| 18.       | Kerala                  |                                                21757 |
| 19.       | Lakshadweep UT          |                                                   28 |
| 20.       | Madhya Pradesh          |                                               286310 |
| 21.       | Maharashtra             |                                               496916 |
| 22.       | Manipur                 |                                                11805 |
| 23.       | Meghalaya               |                                                18839 |
| 24.       | Mizoram                 |                                                 2793 |
| 25.       | Nagaland                |                                                11062 |
| 26.       | Odisha                  |                                                92087 |
| 27.       | Puducherry U.T.         |                                                 1421 |
| 28.       | Punjab                  |                                                90353 |
| 29.       | Rajasthan               |                                               252338 |
| 30.       | Sikkim                  |                                                 2704 |
| 31.       | Tamil Nadu              |                                               151437 |
| 32.       | Tripura                 |                                                 4998 |
| 33.       | Uttar Pradesh           |                                               896301 |
| 34.       | Uttarakhand             |                                                28098 |
| 35.       | West Bengal             |                                               234275 |
|           | Total                   |                                              4353247 |

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