Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry

21-December-2011 15:34 IST

Impact of Unfair Imports and Dumping

            As per 2001 census, the total number of working children between the age group 5-14 years in the country was 1.26 crore. However, in the Survey conducted by NSSO, in 2004-05 the number of working children were estimated at 90.75 lakh. As per NSSO survey 2009-10, the working children are estimated at 49.84 lakh which shows decline trend. The State-wise information is as per Annexure-I. As per unit level records of NSSO , 2004-05, sector-wise information in percentage terms is as per Annexure-II

                        Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act prohibits  employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 Occupations and 65 Processes  and regulates their working conditions in those occupations/processes 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 Act, is liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to one year or with fine ranging from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.20,000/- or with both. The Govt. of India has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for eradication of child labour as follows:

       (i) legal action plan.

       (ii) focus on general development programmes for the benefit of the families of Child Labour; and

     (iii) project-based action in areas of high concentration of Child labour.

      The above measure has yielded the positive results in eradication of child labour.

            In view of the above, there is no proposal under consideration.

            The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge gave this information in reply  to a written question the in  Rajya Sabha today.

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            ST/-

Annexure I

State-wise Distribution of Working Children according to 2001 Census in the age group  of 5-14 years

Source: Estimated from Unit Level Records of NSSO, 2004-05                                                                                                                                      

Sectoral Distribution of India’s Child Labour,2004-05

 Annexure-II

State	Agri.	Mining & Quar	Mfg.	Elec.Water	Cons.	Trade,Hotel	Trnsprt	Finance	Com.,Soc	Total
A.P.	68.96	0.96	9.70	0.00	3.20	9.02	1.05	0.00	7.11	100
Assam	69.26	1.78	8.42	0.00	1.78	7.76	0.05	0.00	10.96	100
Bihar	71.84	0.00	11.16	0.00	0.00	15.49	0.07	0.38	1.05	100
Chhattisgarh	87.90	0.00	2.37	0.00	0.86	7.17	0.00	0.00	1.70	100
Delhi	0.00	0.00	11.08	0.00	0.00	57.83	0.00	0.00	31.09	100
Goa	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	4.60	0.00	72.46	0.00	22.94	100
Gujrat	76.69	1.04	2.58	0.00	0.28	17.77	0.16	0.00	1.48	100
H.P.	87.42	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.71	1.21	0.00	4.66	100
Haryana	65.57	0.00	3.81	0.00	7.03	8.08	0.00	0.00	15.51	100
Jharkhand	65.28	0.00	14.63	0.00	4.25	12.08	0.66	0.26	2.84	100
Karnataka	82.60	0.22	9.27	0.00	1.19	5.73	0.70	0.00	0.30	100
Kerala	19.22	0.00	32.78	0.00	0.00	31.95	0.00	0.00	16.05	100
M.P.	82.89	0.00	9.93	0.00	1.50	4.33	0.00	0.00	1.34	100
Maharastra	82.62	0.00	5.34	0.00	1.92	5.75	0.13	0.14	4.09	100
Orissa	73.18	0.88	17.36	0.00	3.25	3.34	0.91	0.00	1.08	100
Punjab	67.91	0.00	12.71	0.00	1.16	7.21	2.59	0.00	8.43	100
Rajasthan	75.78	0.00	9.60	0.19	2.94	7.26	0.05	3.74	0.44	100
T.N.	39.49	0.00	44.55	0.00	5.91	5.68	1.54	0.16	2.68	100
U.P.	61.24	0.00	25.34	0.00	0.40	9.73	0.68	0.50	2.11	100
Uttaranchal	80.73	0.00	4.72	0.00	5.24	9.31	0.00	0.00	0.00	100
W.B.	34.57	0.00	43.93	0.00	3.27	9.66	1.19	0.80	6.59	100
Total	68.14	0.25	16.55	0.02	1.95	8.45	0.66	0.57	3.41	10

 

 

 

 

 

Child labour prohibition: employment of children under fourteen banned in specified occupations with penal sanctions and eradication strategy. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act prohibits employment of children below fourteen in specified occupations and processes, prescribes penal sanctions and fines for illegal employment, and the Government implements a threefold strategy-legal enforcement, family oriented development programmes, and project based action in high concentration areas-to eradicate child labour, supported by declining census and NSSO estimates and annexed statewise and sectoral data.