Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
- The recurring funds provided by the Government of India is Rs. 20.29 lakh per year for a Home of 50 children
As per 2001 census, the total number of working children between the age group of 5-14 years in the country was 1.26 crore. However, in the survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2004-05, the number of working children was estimated at 90.75 lakhs which had further declined to 49.84 lakhs, as per NSSO survey in 2009-10. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 occupations and 65 processes. The Act also regulates the working conditions of children where they are not prohibited from working. 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 and/or with fine.
As per the data received from various States, the details of inspections carried out, prosecutions launched convictions made against the offenders under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 during the last five years are as under:
Year
|
Inspections
|
Violations
|
Prosecutions
|
Convictions
|
2009
|
326292
|
8707
|
5519
|
1312
|
2010
|
250087
|
11182
|
4508
|
1490
|
2011
|
135889
|
14401
|
6002
|
967
|
2012
|
138925
|
11667
|
4761
|
1039
|
2013
|
110821
|
6877
|
920
|
596
|
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme i.e. Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) for rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstance, including children rescued from labour. These children are provided rehabilitation in Children’s Homes. Financial assistance under ICPS is provided for setting up and maintenance of various types of Homes, including Children Homes for rescued children.
The recurring funds provided by the Government of India is Rs. 20.29 lakh per year for a Home of 50 children, this includes food, clothing, medicines, toiletries, bedding, transportation, rent, electricity, water charges and salary of ten full time staff in three shifts, etc. A grant of Rs. 6.50 lakh is also provided for meeting up-gradation of accommodation facilities and its maintenance. The Scheme is currently being reviewed by the Government to enhance all facilities and norms in these Homes.
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| Child Labour in India |
The recurring funds provided by the Government of India is Rs. 20.29 lakh per year for a Home of 50 children, this includes food, clothing, medicines, toiletries, bedding, transportation, rent, electricity, water charges and salary of ten full time staff in three shifts, etc. A grant of Rs. 6.50 lakh is also provided for meeting up-gradation of accommodation facilities and its maintenance. The Scheme is currently being reviewed by the Government to enhance all facilities and norms in these Homes.
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