STOP CHILD LABOUR

PRIN. L. N. WELINGKAR INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH
MAY 2015
ROHAN GURUDATTA SAPKAL
ADMISSION NO. HPGD/JA14/1405
PROJECT ISR
MAY 2015
SOCIAL CAUSE STOP CHILD LABOUR

STOP CHILD LABOUR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I hereby take this opportunity to express my heartful gratitude to Mr. Kantesh Jadhav from
whom I have got the inputs and help for my project on ISR.
I would also like to express my indebtness to my family members, my friends and also my
colleagues for their constant support ensuring the completion of my project.

STOP CHILD LABOUR

ABSTRACT
CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
In the latter part of the 20th century, child labour remains a serious problem in many parts of the
world. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries in Latin America, Africa, and
Asia. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education minimal. The income they
bring in is, however, necessary for the survival of their families. In other cases, children are
bonded, working to pay off an initial cash advance from the employer with escalating interest
which leaves them effectively slaves. In this project, information has been shared on some of the
legal and programmatic initiatives undertaken in India over the last decade or so to address the
problem of child labor. These programs remain committed to the full eradication of all forms of
child labor wherever it might exist in India, beginning with the most exploitative and hazardous
forms and have adopted this goal as part of national policy. Both the Indian courts and the
National Human Rights Commission have been paying increasing attention to the issue. India
has also been participating in the International Program on Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) of

STOP CHILD LABOUR

the ILO. But the problem remains vast, and finding resources for rehabilitation schemes, given
the magnitude of the problem, is a continuing challenge.

TABLE OF CONTENT

SR
N
O

CHAPTER

TOPIC

NO

Introduction

II

III

IV

Causes of Child Labour

Effects of Child Labour
NGOs working for Child Labour
Activity Pics

PAGE
NO.

5-7
8-9
10-10
11-12
13-13

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6

Objectives: Fighting Child Labour Of NGOs

VI

News & Current Affairs

VII

14-14
15-18

Campaign

VIII

IX

19-20
Ministry Of Labour& Employment Polices.

1
0
1
1

22-23
Summary

24-24

Bibliography

XI

I
5

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INTRODUCTION

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Introduction:
What is 'Child Labour'?

"Child Labour" is, generally speaking, work for children that harms them or exploits them in
some

way

(physically,

mentally,

morally,

or

by

blocking

access

to

education).

There is no universally accepted definition of "child Labour". Varying definitions of the term are
used by international organizations, non-governmental organizations
, trade unions and other interest groups. Writers and speakers dont always specify what
definition they are using, and that often leads to confusion. Not all work is bad for children.
Some social scientists point out that some kinds of work may be completely unobjectionable
except for one thing about the work that makes it exploitative. For instance, a child who delivers
newspapers before school might actually benefit from learning how to work, gaining
responsibility, and earn a bit of money. But what if the child is not paid? Then he or she is being
exploited. As UNICEFs 1997 State of the Worlds Children Report puts it, "Childrens work
needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or exploitative work at one
end and beneficial work - promoting or enhancing childrens development without interfering
with their schooling, recreation and rest - at the other. And between these two poles are vast areas
of work that need not negatively affect a childs development." Other social scientists have
slightly different ways of drawing the line between acceptable and unacceptable work.
Not all work is bad for children. Some social scientists point out that some kinds of work may be
completely unobjectionable except for one thing about the work that makes it exploitative.
For instance, a child who delivers newspapers before school might actually benefit from learning
how to work, gaining responsibility, and a bit of money. But what if the child is not paid? Then
he or she is being exploited. As UNICEFs 1997 State of the Worlds Children Report puts it,
"Childrens work needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or
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STOP CHILD LABOUR

exploitative work at one end and beneficial work - promoting or enhancing childrens
development without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest - at the other. And
between these two poles are vast areas of work that need not negatively affect a childs
development." Other social scientists have slightly different ways of drawing the line between
acceptable and unacceptable work. International conventions also define "child Labour" as
activities such as soldiering and prostitution. Not everyone agrees with this definition. Some
child workers themselves think that illegal work (such as prostitution) should not be considered
in the definition of "child Labour." The reason: These child workers would like to be respected
for their legal work, because they feel they have no other choice but to work.
To avoid confusion, when writing or speaking about "child Labour," its best to explain exactly
what you mean by child Labour or, if someone else is speaking, ask for a definition. This
website uses the first definition cited in this section: "Child Labour" is work for children under
age 18 that in some way harms or exploits them (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking
children from education).
Who are child labourers? And how many are there?

In 2000, the ILO estimates, "246 million child workers aged 5 and 17 were involved in child
Labour, of which 171 million were involved in work that by its nature is hazardous to their
safety, physical or mental health, and moral development. Moreover, some 8.4 million children
were engaged in so-called 'unconditional' worst forms of child Labour, which include forced and
bonded Labour, the use of children in armed conflict, trafficking in children and commercial
sexual exploitation."

What do child labourers do?

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Work ranges from taking care of animals and planting and harvesting food, to many kinds of
small manufacturing (e.g. of bricks and cement), auto repair, and making of footwear and
textiles.
More boys than girls work outside their homes. But more girls work in some jobs: for instance,
as domestic maids. Being a maid in someones house can be risky. Maids typically are cut off
from friends and family, and can easily be physically or sexually abused by their employers.
Note: Less than 5% of child Labourers makes products for export to other countries. Sources for
this statistic include UNICEFs State of the Worlds Children Report 1997.

II

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR

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Child labor persists even though laws and standards to eliminate it exist. Current causes of global child
labor are similar to its causes in the U.S. 100 years ago, including poverty, limited access to education,
repression of workers rights, and limited prohibitions on child labor.
Poverty and unemployment levels are high.
Poor children and their families may rely upon child labor in order to improve their chances of attaining
basic necessities. More than one-fourth of the world's people live in extreme poverty, according to 2005
U.N. statistics. The intensified poverty in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America causes many children
there to become child laborers.
Access to compulsory, free education is limited.
In 2006, approximately 75 million children were not in school, limiting future opportunities for the
children and their communities. A 2009 report by the United Nations estimated that achieving universal
education for the world's children would cost $10-30 billion -- about 0.7% - 2.0% of the annual cost of
global military spending.
What causes child labour today?
Poverty is widely considered the top reason why children work at inappropriate jobs for their ages. But
there are other reasons as well:
Family expectations and traditions.
Abuse of the child.
Lack of good schools and day care.
Lack of other services, such as health care.
Public opinion that downplays the risk of early work for children.
Uncaring attitudes of employers
Limited choices for women.

"The parents of child labourers are often unemployed or underemployed, desperate for secure
employment and income. Yet it is their children - more powerless and paid less - who are offered the jobs.
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In other words, says UNICEF, children are employed because they are easier to exploit," according to the
"Roots

of

Child

Labour"

in

UNICEFs

1997

State

of

the

Worlds

Children

Report.

The report also says that international economic trends also have increased child Labour in poor
countries. "During the 1980s, in many developing countries, government indebtedness, unwise internal
economic policies and recession resulted in economic crisis. Structural adjustment programmers in many
countries accentuated cuts in social spending that have hit the poor disproportionately. Although
structural adjustment programs are being revised to spare education from deep cuts, the report says, some
countries make such cuts anyway because of their own, local priorities. In many countries public
education has deteriorated so much, the report declared, that education itself has become part of the
problem because children work to avoid going to school.
Children do some types of low-status work, the report adds, because children come from minority groups
or populations that have long suffered discrimination. In northern Europe, for example, child labourers
are likely to be African or Turkish; in Argentina, many are Bolivian or Paraguayan; in Thailand, many are
from Myanmar. An increasingly consumer-oriented culture, spurring the desire and expectation for
consumer goods, can also lead children into work and away from school."

III

EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOR

10

EFFECTS OF CHILD LABOR

STOP CHILD LABOUR

There are very bad effects of child labor for our society, which forces some children to steal
things from others in order to satisfy their daily living. Many small girls are even made to
indulge in prostitution.
Child labor shifts the interest of the Child from Education and can increase the criminal nature
of the child. This can exploit the future generation.
Child labor also kills the Freedom of the child along with the creativity loss.

IV

11

NGOS WORKING FOR CHILD LABOUR

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National

Child

Labour Project

In pursuance of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and the National Child
Labour Policy, 1987 the Ministry of Labour and Employment has been implementing the
National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme, which is a project based action program me. The
scheme provides for setting up of project societies at the district level under the Chairmanship of
the Collector/ District Magistrates for overseeing the implementation of the project which aims
at withdrawing and rehabilitating children working in identified hazardous occupations and
processes through special schools and finally mainstreaming them to the formal education
system. Apart from providing education and vocational training these special schools provides
nutritious meals, health care & monthly stipend as supplementary income. Under the Scheme
4002 schools has been sanctioned in 100 NCLPs during the Ninth Plan and it is expected to
increase to 10,000 schools during the 10th Plan. So far 4, 00,200 working children have been
covered under the scheme. About 3.08 lakhs children have been mainstreamed into formal
education system so far.

Role of PAHAL
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PAHAL has started this project on April 2010 which will be completed on March 2013. District
labour department under the guidance of assistant labour commissioner interested upon PAHAL
to start a NCLP special school in north Jalandhar. PAHAL agreed and initiated the project in
session 2010-11.As per the guidelines three normal teachers, one vocational teacher and on
assistant/helper appointed for the purpose. With the hard work, staff enrolled 50 students, 28 girls
and 22 boys from the various factories, slums, rag picking areas, and houses. During the some
days KIRAT BHAWAN got renovated and brought to shape for landing the project. Project
initiated

in

the

month

of

April

2010.

It was hard to make the kids to sit as they were habitual to roaming all the days but the hard work
of the teachers, the involvement of PAHAL members and input of various individual and
agencies, school got its normal shape. PAHAL appointed a dance teacher additional to the staff
inducted under the guidelines. In addition to teaching, they taught regular training, classical,
semi classical, and folk dance.
During the last one and a half year, these students performed at different time in the school
premises. They performed at Kirpal Sagar Academy Rahon, Saheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, in Red
Cross Bhavan and so many other places. Now these students are able to communicate normally
with all masses. They are able to perform at any stage. They have transformed their lifestyle,
behavioral, cultural and social outlook and improved academically. There is worth mentioning
transformation in the personality of these students of this school.

13

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Activity Pics

14

STOP CHILD LABOUR

V

OBJECTIVES: FIGHTING CHILD LABOUR OF NGOS

To influence public policy on child labor issues through an increased understanding of the impact
of work on childrens health, the quality of their lives, and their ability to produce effectively in
jobs as adults, as well as increase recognition of how child labor exploitation reinforces and
promotes poverty, adult unemployment, poor living standards, low literacy rates, and lax
enforcement of labor regulations;
To work for strengthened protections, guarding youth from excessive, inappropriate, and
hazardous labor;
To advocate for better enforcement of child labor laws and regulations, including devising and
encouraging innovative ways to ensure employer compliance;
To educate the public, business, and governments to broaden awareness and understanding about
the nature of child labor exploitation in the United States and other countries, and how it differs
from legitimate and positive youth employment; and
To urge the Congress of the United States to act quickly to ratify and enforce all the International
Labor Organization and United Nations Conventions that affect child labor.
Sustain Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) against child labour.
Activities under this priority may include:
Creation and strengthening of partnerships and networking between non-State actors,
government policy-making institutions, agencies and local authorities, private companies, local
communities, child ombudspersons at local, national and/or international level.
Activities to encourage, develop, implement and monitor social protection interventions and
projects preventing and/or countering child labour;
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STOP CHILD LABOUR

VI

NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

CABINET APPROVES CHANGES TO CHILD LABOUR LAWS

PTI May 13, 2015, 05.55PM IST

NEW DELHI: In a major overhaul of child labour laws, the Cabinet today approved a complete
ban on employment of children below 14 years, except for some family businesses,
entertainment and sports activities, while raising the punishment for violations to up to three
years of jail.
Making child labour a cognizable offence, the fine has also been increased to up to Rs 50,000 for
the employers.
The children can be employed only in non-hazardous family enterprises, TV serials, films,
advertisements and sporting activities (except circus) with a condition that they would be made
to do these jobs after school hours.
The children can be employed only in non-hazardous family enterprises, TV serials, films,
advertisements and sporting activities (except circus) with a condition that they would be made
to do these jobs after school hours.
A new definition of adolescent has also been introduced to further prohibit employment of those
aged 14-18 years in hazardous jobs, a government statement said.

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STOP CHILD LABOUR

The amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act has, however, relaxed the
penal provisions for parents or guardians, who were earlier subjected to same punishments as
applicable to the employer of the child.
The amendment bill, approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
provides that there would be no punishment for parents or guardians in case of first offence,
while a maximum penalty of Rs 10,000 can be levied in case of the second and subsequent
offences.
Under the existing law, any violation attracts imprisonment of a minimum 3 months to a
maximum of one year for the first offence, while the fine is Rs 10,000-20,000. This has been
enhanced to imprisonment of 6 months to two years and fine of Rs 20,000-50,000 for the first
offence.
For the second offence, the jail provision has been increased from 6-24 months to 12-36 months.
The current law prohibits employment of children, aged below 14 years, only in 18 specified
occupations and 65 processes and regulates the conditions of working of children in other
occupations/processes.
The new bill provides that employment of children below 14 years will be prohibited in all
occupations and processes. Besides, the age of prohibition of employment will be linked to age
under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
The new provisions are part of the official amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition &
Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012.
The bill also provides for constitution of Child and Adolescent Labour Rehabilitation Fund for
one or more districts for the rehabilitation of the child or adolescent rescued.

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STOP CHILD LABOUR

Thus, the Act itself will provide for a fund to carry out rehabilitation activities, said the official
statement.
On the exceptions made in the new laws proposed, it said: "While considering a total prohibition
on the employment of child, it would be prudent to also keep in mind the country's social fabric
and socio-economic conditions."

BAN ALL FORMS OF LABOUR EMPLOYING UNDER-14 CHILDREN:

KAILASH SATYARTHI

BHOPAL: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi today demanded a complete ban on all forms of
labour involving children below 14 years, against the backdrop of Union Cabinet's nod to
amend child labour law to allow them to work in family enterprise.
The child right activist said providing education to all children in society is the key to put an end
to this practice.
"Because of child labour there is poverty, illiteracy and sickness in the world and it is very
essential to provide education to them as it can effectively eradicate child labour from world,"
said Satyarthi, founder of 'Bachpan Bacahao Andolan' at a function here.
On one of the proposed amendments that allow children below 14 years to work in family
enterprise after his school hours or during vacations, Satyarthi said the children should be
allowed to do so only under his parents or legal guardians and not under his relatives.
He demanded a complete ban on employment of children in the age group of 15-18 in all forms
hazardous industries unlike in only 18 industries which used to be the case.
"We demanded that in the cases of violation, provision of awarding stringent punishment and
heavy fines should be done in the proposed new bill to which Union cabinet has recently given
its nod," Satyarthi said.

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STOP CHILD LABOUR

"I have demanded from Labour Minister that the list of 18 hazardous industries should not be
brought down under any circumstances and that it should be enhanced further by identifying
more such industries," he said.
He said a total of six crore children across the world have not attended schools whereas 25 crore
children have dropped out of schools, while 21 crore children are unable to read and write
despite getting primary education.

VII
19

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHILD LABOUR

STOP CHILD LABOUR

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BBA's inexhaustible efforts in the fight against child labour are reflected in various campaigns.
In 1991, BBA initiated the 'Anti-Firecracker Campaign', to highlight the plight of young children
involved in the manufacturing of fire crackers. The campaign led to the sensitization of around
10,000 schools and 6-7 million children.
BBA also launched the Fairplay Campaign in 1996, which drew attention to child labour in the
manufacturing of sports goods in India.
To build public awareness on child labour, BBA has organized several long marches. This
included the 5000 km long Indian March Against Child Labour from Kanyakumari to Delhi in
1995, the South Asian March from Calcutta to Kathmandu in 1996 and the 1998 Global March
Against Child Labour. The latter was an 80,000 km long march across 103 countries, which saw
the impressive participation of 7.2 million children, women and men demanding an international
ban on child labour.
With Rugmark (now known under GoodWeave International), BBA was involved in the first ever
social labeling of child-labour-free carpets, which has been replicated in many countries as a new
Corporate Social Responsibility and ethical trade tactic.
The Child Labour Free India Campaign organized by BBA in 2012, was a national campaign,
which comprised a series of events and activities and was directed towards the demand for a
blanket ban on child labour in the country.
Since 2008, BBA has also annually organized a nation-wide campaign called the India Action
Week.
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World Labour Day 2014 organized by PAHAL NGOs
Youth organization `PAHAL' organized special function to observe World Labour Day in the school being
run by PAHAL under National Child Labour Project. Prof. Lakhbir Singh told that Labour Day or
Worker's Day is being observed all over the world to reduce the works hours and to raise the wages of
labours.
Today most of the people celebrate it as a fashion. He added that now is the time to eliminate the child
labour in India. It is big challenge in the modern society that child labour is vanishing the creative,
constructive

childhood

years

of

crores

of

the

children

of

India.

'PAHAL' planted 50 saplings of Jamun and Dek in the premises of NCLP School Bhagat Singh Colony.
Mrs. Harvinder Kaur head NIrmaan School, Mrs. Manjit Kaur, Bageshwar Singh, Mrs. Gurdeep Kaur,
Ms. Usha Rani, Mrs. Anju Sharma, Mrs. Kawaljit Kaur, along with 45 students of NCPL School
participated in tree plantation to observe Workers Day. All the saplings were adopted by the student to
water and nurture by NCPL students. Sh. Inderjit Singh DLO Jalandhar appreciate PAHAL for this cause
Prof Lakhbir Singh with Students of National Child Labour Project School.

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IX

MINISTRY OF CHILD LABOUR POLICES.

Government recognized the need to protect child labour from exploitation and from being
subjected to work in hazardous conditions that endanger such children's physical and mental
development, and the need to ensure the health and safety of children at the workplace. It
recognized that they should be protected from excessively long working hours and from night
work, that work even in non-hazardous occupations should be regulated, and all working
children should be provided with sufficient weekly rest periods and holidays. The programme of
action plan under the national child labour policy comprises:
Focusing on general development programmers for benefiting child labour
-

Project- based action plans in area of high concentration of child labour engaged in

wage/quasi- wage employment

Focusing on General Development Programming for Benefiting Child Labour:
In order to successfully rehabilitate child labour withdrawn from employment and to reduce the
incidence of child labour progressively, the environment of the child needs to be focused. The
ongoing development programmes in the areas of education, health, nutrition, integrated child
development, and the anti-poverty programmes are utilized for the benefit of the child and his
family, and this will diminish the compulsions to send the children to work. Children will be
encouraged to attend school rather than take up wage employment.
Area specific projects:
In the areas known to have high concentration of child labour project based approach has been
adopted for identification, withdrawal and rehabilitation of working children. The National Child
Labour Projects (NCLP) was launched for the first time in 1988 in areas of high concentration of
child labour. The NCLPs are area-specific; time bound projects where priority is given to the
withdrawal and rehabilitation of children engaged in hazardous employment.
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The main objective of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) is to eliminate the prevalence
of child labour in this country. The components of the running of the NCLP are
(I)

Enforcement of the Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the

Factories Act, 1948, the Mines Act, 1952 and such other acts within the project area.
(ii)

Coverage of families of child labour under the income/employment generating

programmes under the over aegis of anti poverty programmes.

(iii)

Formal and non-formal education for child labour in hazardous employments. Also,

a stepped -up programme of Adult education

(Including non formal education) of the parents of the working parents.
(iv)

Setting up of special schools for child workers together with provision of vocational

education/training in such special schools, supplementary nutrition, and stipend to the children
taken out from the prohibited employments and health care for all the children attending at such
special schools
(v)

Creating awareness among the different target groups in the society through

governmental and non-governmental organizations to raise their consciousness on the issue of

child labour.
(vi)

Survey of child labour in the project areas and also evaluate the progress of the

project periodically.

Summary

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STOP CHILD LABOUR

"Save the Children is often told that its aims are impossible that there has always been child
suffering and there always will be. We know. It's impossible only if we make it so. Its
impossible only if we refuse to attempt it."
Child Survival
Nearly 1.73 million children die in India every year due to lack of treatment. We work with
communities and the government health systems to improve child and maternal health care.
Child Protection
India has the largest number of child labourers in the world. We work to expose and prevent
exploitative child labour practices. We also have child labour prevention programs in areas like
West Bengal & Bihar where child trafficking is rampant.
Education
7.1 million Children in India do not go to school. We work to ensure that all children join school.
This helps them stay out of child labour as well as in building a promising future for themselves.
Responding to Emergencies and Disaster Risk Reduction
Children are the worst affected victims of natural disasters. We work to ensure their right to
survival and development after an emergency by providing immediate support.

Bibliography

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Source:

http://www.bba.org.in/
http://www.pahal-ngo.org/
Wikipedia
Personal Visit.
Ministry of Labour & Employment Affairs.
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

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