Child Labour in India

Context: Concerns over child labour in India have been raised by an Australian parliamentary committee in its report, with reference to the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.

About:

• The report has highlighted that international labor rights are not recognized by Australia’s trade agreement with India.

• Child labor is defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and is harmful to their physical and mental development.

• India has a significant issue with child labor, with an estimated 10.1 million working children aged between five and fourteen years based on the 2011 census.

• According to an Indian parliamentary standing committee report, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra collectively employ more than half of India’s child labor force.

• Although there has been a decline in the incidence of child labor between 2001 and 2011, it remains prevalent in rural areas due to factors like migration.

Some Local and Global Measures to tackle Child labor:

Constitutional Provisions	Steps Taken by Government	International Measures
Article 23: Prohibits traffic in human beings, forced labor, etc.	Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation) 1986: Prohibits children under 14 years from working in hazardous industries.	United Nations International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour (2021): Urgent action to end child labor by 2025.
Article 24: Prohibits employment of children below age 14 in certain activities.	National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme: Rescues and provides education, vocational training, meals, health care to children aged 9-14.	Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7: Aims to eradicate forced labor, modern slavery, and worst forms of child labor.
Article 21-A: Provides free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14.	PENCIL (Platform for Effective Enforcement of No Child Labour) Portal: Engages government and civil society to achieve a child laborfree society.	Alliance 8.7: Global partnership committed to achieving SDG Target 8.7.
India ratified ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182 on child labor.

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