Indian
Express: New Delhi: Monday, 01 June 2015.
As many as
785 were convicted last year under the Child Labour (Prohibition &
Regulation) Act 1986 for the employment of children below the age of 14 years,
reveals an RTI reply.
The Ministry
of Labour & Employment, which collected the data from states regarding the
violation and conviction said that 1098 violations came to notice and 1054
prosecutions were launched against the violators.
“Any person
who employs a child in any occupation or process where employment of children
is prohibited under the Child Labour Act, is liable for punishment with
imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months, but which
may extend to a year, a fine which shall not be less than `10, 000 but which
may extend to `20,000 or with both,” the Ministry said in its RTI response. The
Ministry also said that 5167 Special Training Centres under National Child
Labour Project (NCLP) districts were operational till December 2014.
The Child
Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act prohibits employment of a child in 18
occupations and 65 processes and regulates the conditions of working of
children in other occupations.
Recently on
May 13, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its
approval for moving official amendments to the Amendment Bill, 2012 allowing
children below age 14 to work in non-hazardous family enterprises after school
hours or during vacations.
The Act also
allows for employing children as artists in the entertainment industry,
including advertisement, films, television serials or any such other
entertainment or sports activities except the circus.
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