Child Labour
Dr. Aneesh M S
Child
● According to international law, a ‘child’
means every human being below the age of 18
years. This is a universally accepted definition
of a child and comes from the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNCRC), an international legal
instrument accepted and ratified by most
countries.
Child Labour
● The term “child labour” is often used
interchangeably with “working child” or
“employed child”.
● Child labour refers to the use of children as a
source of labour while depriving them of their
fundamental rights in the process of growth
and development. Such rights include the
opportunity to enjoy their childhood, attend
school regularly, have peace of mind, and live
a dignified life.
● According to the ILO, Child. Labour refers
to work that deprives children (any person
under 18) of their childhood, their. potential
and their dignity, and that is harmful to their
physical and/or mental development. It refers
to work that is mentally, or morally dangerous
and harmful to children
● Based on the UNICEF data, Roughly 160
million children were subjected to child labour
at the beginning of 2020, with 9 million
additional children at risk due to the impact of
COVID-19. This accounts for nearly 1 in
10 children worldwide. Most of them are
working in hazardous situation
● Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Act, 1986 aims to eradicate any kind of child
abuse in the form of employment and prohibit
the engagement of children in any kind of
hazardous employment, who have not
completed 14 years of age.
● The total number of working children in the
country has declined from 1.26 crore as per the
Census 2001 to 49.84 lakh in 2009-10 as per
NSSO Survey
CAUSES
● Poverty
● Low Aspiration
● Huge demand for unskilled laborers
● Illiteracy
● Early Marriages
● High cost of education
● Gender discrimination
Effects
● Loss of Quality childhood
● Health issues
● Mental trauma
● Illiteracy
● Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, (who fighted against
child labour) the two Nobel Peace Prize
awardees of 2014
● He is the founder of multiple social activist
organizations, including Bachpan Bachao
Andolan, Global March Against Child Labour,
Global campaign for education , Kailash
Satyarthi Children's Foundation, and Bal
Ashram Trust.
Constitutional And Legal Provisions
● According to Article 23 of the Indian
Constitution any type of forced labour is
prohibited.
● Article 24 states that a child under 14 years
cannot be employed to perform any
hazardous work.
● Article 39 states that “the health and strength
of workers, men and women, and the tender
age of children are not abused”.
● In the same manner, Child Labour Act
(Prohibition and Regulation) 1986 prohibits
children under the age of 14 years to be
working in hazardous industries and processes.
Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)
Amendment Act, of 2016
● It is an amendment of the Child Labour
(Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 which
has placed a complete prohibition on the
employment of underage children, especially in
hazardous situations or occupations. It has also
interconnected the prohibition of employment
with access to free education as per the Right to
Education Act of 2009.
National Child Labour Project (NCLP, 1988)
It is a Scheme with the objective to withdraw
children working in hazardous occupations
and processes, and mainstream them into
formal education system. All children
rescued/withdrawn 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.
● Prohibition of child labour is dealt by the
article
(A) 24
(B) 27
(C) 26
(D) None of these
(ICDS 2020)
● What is the worst form of child labor, as
defined by the ILO?
A. Child labor in agriculture
B. Child labor in domestic service
C. Child labor in the entertainment industry
D. Child labor that involves hazardous work or
exploitation
THANK YOU
