Lok Sabha Question No. 134 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-25
Subject: Child Labour in MSME
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 134 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.04.2016

## CHILD LABOUR IN MSME

†134. SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  Child  labourers  are  being engaged to work in various  micro,  small  and  medium  enterprises/ industries and factories in the country;
- (b)if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  by  the  Government against such MSMEs in this regard;
- (c)whether  any  child  labourers  working  in  Micro,  Small  and  Medium enterprises have been rescued during the last three years;
- (d)if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
- (e)the other steps taken/being taken by the Government 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-I. The Child Labour (Prohibition  and  Regulation)  Act,  1986  provides  for action by appropriate Government to secure the compliance with its provisions.

(c) & (d): Ministry of  Labour&  Employment  is  implementing  the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child rescued/  withdrawn  from  the  prohibited  occupations  and  processes which may include Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The number of child labourers rescued/ withdrawn from work, rehabilitated and mainstreamed under National Child Labour Project Scheme during the last three years, State-wise, are given at Annexure-II.

(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 It comprises  of  statutory  and  legislative  measures,  rehabilitation  of children withdrawn from work through specific scheme and universal elementary education along with convergence with other schemes for socio-economic development.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.

**                                             ******

ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  and  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  †134  FOR  ANSWER  ON  25.04.2016  BY  SHRI BHARAT SINGH REGARDING CHILD LABOUR IN MSME

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 |

** Including Telangana.

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  and  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  †134  FOR  ANSWER  ON  25.04.2016  BY  SHRI BHARAT SINGH REGARDING CHILD LABOUR IN MSME

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 |

**********