World Day Against Child Labour

The World Day Against Child Labour, celebrated on June 12 every year, reflects the plight of countless child labourers around the world. This day reminds us of the need to eradicate child labour and guarantee equal access to education for every child. 

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), around 152 million children are engaged in child labour on a global scale. These kids are deprived of even their most basic rights to play, learn, and just be children. Several socio-economic and cultural aspects have turned out to be the driving factors behind child labour across the world. 

According to the 2011 census, India, too, is witnessing child labour as a persistent problem, with almost 10.1 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 engaged in labour. This statistic has seen an exponential surge, resulting in a higher count than it was in 2011. But what really is the root cause of child labour in India?

Read below this article to learn more about the issue of child labour in India as we celebrate World Day Against Child Labour together.

Causes Of Child Labour In India

The widespread poverty in India is one of the most detrimental factors behind child labour in the nation. Most families that fall below the poverty line struggle to make ends meet. Therefore, even the youngest child in the family is expected to support their family financially. 

Besides, these kids are pushed forcibly to work in poor working conditions, often in agriculture, factories, or domestic help. Nevertheless, there is a lack of easy access to education due to high education costs, inadequate infrastructure, or the societal pressure to give priority to earning over schooling. This even results in kids working at very low wages and for extended hours to meet the immediate needs of their families. 

The vicious cycle of poverty is never-ending, and neither is child labour, unless people come together and understand the negative impact child labour has on developing nations.

Besides, the traditional norms that kids should be pushed into earning from a young age have made things even worse. Despite the laws in India prohibiting such acts of exploitation of children, there’s still a need for effective enforcement of such laws in reality. This continued exploitation of child labour in India is the result of prevalent loopholes in the system that allow for the perpetuation of child labour. 

Government Initiatives To Combat Child Labour

The Indian government has taken several legislative, policy, and programmatic measures to tackle child labour over the years.

• `Legislative Changes

Key laws like the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 prohibit the employment of children under the age of 14 in hazardous occupations, which are stated to be 18 occupations and 65 processes considered dangerous for children.

Other labour laws also restrict child labour. However, strict enforcement of these laws remains a challenge. 

• National Policy And Plan Of Action 

The National Policy on Child Labour outlines a plan of action involving legislative prohibition, universal elementary education, welfare schemes, and projects for children engaged in the worst forms of child labour. 

• National Child Labour Projects (NCLP)

The NCLP scheme, started in 1988, is the major government programme for child labour rehabilitation, especially in the most child labour-prone districts of the country. It works towards withdrawing children engaged in hazardous work and providing them with education, vocational training, and health care to mainstream them into the formal education system. Currently, over 8 lakh children have benefited from this scheme.

• Convergence With Other Initiatives

The ministry aims to converge efforts with other departments dealing with education, livelihoods, nutrition, and poverty alleviation programmes to holistically address the multi-dimensional child labour issue. This involves coordinating schemes for families of working children.

• Punishment And Imprisonment

Any person who employs a child below the age of 14 in a labour occupation or something that can be deemed hazardous can be punished with a jail time of anywhere between 6 months and 2 years and be fined between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000, depending on the severity of the situation at hand. 

Conclusion

While the situation has slightly changed over the years, a lot more efforts are still required to eliminate child labour in India. 

Strong political will, increased investments, socio-economic development initiatives targeting vulnerable families, and ensuring access to quality schooling for all are crucial to effectively implementing laws and schemes towards making India fit for children to live, learn, and grow.

The World Day Against Child Labour reminds us of the collective actions required worldwide in the fight against this social evil. 

This is your time to take a step forward in the lives of millions of children across India. Remember, one action of yours today can change the lives of many. It’s time to raise your voice and hand so that child labour can be banned. 

Report Child Labour today at labour.gov.in or call 1098 to register a complaint.