• UGI USER
  • Dec 21, 2023
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CHALLENGES IN ELIMINATING CHILD LABOUR

Why in the News?

  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles, and Skill Development emphasizes the need for a uniform definition of ‘child’ across various legislations.
  • Points out discrepancies in the criteria for determining a child’s age under different acts, leading to ambiguity and potential delays in justice.
Source: IANS

Implementation Concerns:

  • The committee acknowledges that the implementation of policies to eliminate child labour faces significant challenges.
  • Highlights the long journey ahead to achieve the 2025 goal of ending all forms of child labour, as committed after ratifying ILO conventions and aligning with the  Sustainable Development Goal 8.7.

Recommendations for Stringent Measures:

  • Stricter punishments, such as license cancellation and property attachment, in addition to a three/four times increase in fines for offenders.
  • Amendments to the existing acts to ensure zero tolerance for child labour, urging the Ministry of Labour & Employment to pursue necessary changes.
  • Calls for assigning traffic police the responsibility of reporting instances of children selling goods or begging at traffic lights and holding them accountable for any negligence.
  • Advocates the establishment of a National Level Child Tracking Mechanism to monitor and address child labour issues effectively.