Paper: GS – II, Subject: Society and Social Justice, Topic: Welfare schemes, laws, mechanisms, institutions related to women, Issue: Eradicating child labour.
Context:
Observed on June 12 each year, World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) raises awareness on eradicating child-labour globally.
Key Highlights:
Global Scenario:
- Over 160 million children globally are still involved in child labour predominantly in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
- COVID-19 worsened conditions for underprivileged children, especially school dropouts.
Indian Context:
- Census 2011: 43.53 lakh children (5–14 age group) involved in child labour.
- Causes: Poverty, inaccessibility to education, illiteracy.
- Sectors: Agriculture, domestic work, carpet-weaving, mining, beedi-making, etc.
Legal Framework in India:
- Child-Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986: Amended to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, It prohibits child-labour under 14 years in any occupation.
- National Child Labour Project (NCLP) and Pencil Portal launched for monitoring and rehabilitation.
| Success Story: Velpur Model (Telangana):Context: Velpur was once notorious for child-labour in Nizamabad.Origin: In June 2001, a campaign was launched to send all children aged 5–15 years to school.Outcome: On October 2, 2001, Velpur was declared a “child labour free mandal.”Status in 2025: 24 years later, 100% retention in schools; zero child labour. |
Key Factors Behind Success:
Community Mobilisation:
- Panchayats, teachers, SHGs, hotel owners, temple committees involved.
- Opposition to the campaign from certain vested interests (spread of misinformation, refusal by hotels, etc.).
- Persistent dialogue helped build consensus.
Incentivisation & Collaboration:
- Government provided infrastructure and teachers.
- Banks restructured loans of participating families.
- Employers declared they would not hire child labour.
Monitoring & Verification:
- Teams were assigned to track school dropouts.
- Agreements between sarpanchs and government ensured accountability.
Conclusion:
What Velpur Teaches: Community engagement is key in eradicating child labour.Coordinated action between government, civil society, employers, and citizens yields sustainable change.A micro-model like Velpur can inspire macro-level policy design.
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