Constitutional Provisions and Programmes on Child Labour in India

• Art-24, Prohibition of Employment of Children in hazardous Industries.
• Art-21A, Right to Education to the children of 6-14 years age group was made fundamental right by 86th constitutional amendment.
• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
• National Child Labour Policy, 1987.
• National Child Labour Projects, 1988.

by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength.

The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 was enacted by the government to curb the child labour. It contains the following provisions –

1. It prohibits employment of children in 13 occupations and 57 processes.
2. Under the Act, a Technical advisory committee is to be constituted to advice for inclusion of further occupations and processes.
3. The Act regulate the conditions of employments in all occupations and processes not prohibited under the Act.
4. Any person who employs any child in contravention of the provisions of the Act is liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to one year or with fine which shall not be less than Rs. 10,000 or many extend to Rs. 20,000 or both.
5. The Central and State Governments enforce the provisions of the Act in their spheres.
6. The Government of India announced in August, 1987. The National Policy on Child Labour, which contains the action plan for tackling the problem of child labour and envisages a legislative action plan.
7. National Child Labour Project Scheme (NCLP) was started by the Government of India in 1988, in pursuance of the National Child Labour Policy of 1987.
8. In this scheme a sequential approach was adopted with focusing on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes in the first instance.
9. Under the scheme after a survey of child labour engaged in hazardous occupations and processes has been conducted, children are to be withdrawn from these occupations and processes and then put into special schools in order to enable them to be mainstreamed into formal education.
10. Xth Five Year Plan had adopted a strategy for elimination of child labour by linking the child labour elimination efforts with the scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the MHRD.
11. Indus project on the elimination of child labour is a jointly funded project by the Ministry of Labour the Government of India and the Department of Labour, USA.
12. Indus project is implemented in ten hazardous sectors in 21 districts across five states, Maharashtra, M.P., T.N., U.P. and Rajasthan.
13. 80,000 children are to be withdrawn and rehabilitated in Indus Project.