The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, headed by senior Biju Janata Dal (BJP) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, tabled a detailed report on the implementation of the Centre’s policy on child labour in Parliament on December 20. The report, titled ‘National Policy on Child Labour - An Assessment’, states the country has a long way to go in eliminating child labour, and requires changes to the policies and laws that govern the issue. The 582-page report touches upon almost all aspects of the issue, and recommends various Ministries of the Centre and the States take coordinated steps to address it.
The panel has recommended that discrepancies in the criteria for determination of the age of the child in various Acts, as well as the provisions of offence being cognisable/non-cognisable under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 be examined to ensure they did not lead to any ambiguity or delay in securing justice for aggrieved children.
