Centre may issue note, reminding states of legal stand on child labour

New Delhi: As concerns over child labour in industry resurface, the Centre could issue an advisory to states to resensitise them about the legal provisions banning the practice and the need to enforce them more effectively to eliminate the menace, said people familiar with the matter.

The Centre believes that though states are working towards eliminating child labour, sensitisation is a continuous process and a reiteration of the norms needs to be examined in the wake of a recent incident about use of child labour by a listed firm in Madhya Pradesh, said an official, who did not wish to be identified. "The Centre is closely monitoring the situation and will intervene when needed," the official said.

The labour ministry has sought an action taken report from the labour inspector of Bhopal about use of child labour at the city-based Som Distilleries and Breweries, a senior government official said.


A team of labour ministry officials is likely to visit the plant this week to ensure that the due legal process is followed in the case where 59 children were found working at the site illegally.

Labour is in the concurrent list and state governments are responsible for implementation of the labour law provisions.

While the illegal deployment of child labour has declined significantly in the country with global companies insisting on child labour-free labelled products, the recent incident could prompt fresh scrutiny, said the people cited earlier.

As per the 2011 Census, there are about 10.1 million children aged 5-14 years in India, working either as main workers or marginal workers. The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 provides for complete prohibition on employment or work of children aged below 14 years in all occupations and processes while prohibiting employment of adolescents (aged 14-18 years) in hazardous occupations or processes and mandating stricter punishment for the errant employers.