Rehabilitation of Children Under NCLP Scheme

Under the Child Labour Policy, Government of India follows a multi-pronged approach with the following three major elements:

· Legal Action Plan

· Focus on general development programmes for the benefit of the families of child labour; and

· Project-based action in areas of high concentration of child labour.

The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 Occupations and 65 Processes. The Act regulates the working conditions of children where they are not prohibited from working. In pursuance of the National Child Labour Policy, the National Child Labour Project Scheme was started in 1988. The scheme seeks to adopt a sequential approach with focus on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes in the first instance. The scheme is being implemented in 266 districts. Under the Project, children rescued/withdrawn from work are enrolled in the special schools, where they are provided with bridge education, vocational training, nutrition, stipend, health care, etc. before being mainstreamed into formal education system. As per census 2001, there were approximately 12 lakh children working in hazardous occupations/processes which are covered under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. Under the Scheme 8,95,529 children have been mainstreamed so far. This figure does not include the children rescued below the age of 5 years and above 14 years. Further, the Ministry launches awareness generation campaigns against the evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws through electronic and print media at the centre as well as at the district level. 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 numbers 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 a declining trend. This shows that the existing legislation and policy framed by the Ministry have yielded positive results. The official data regarding child labour pertaining to census 2011 has not been received so far.

As per information available, the State-wise number of inspections, prosecutions launched and convictions made during the last five years is as follows:

Number of inspections, prosecutions launched and convictions made during the last five years:

State	No. of Inspections					No. of Prosecution					No. of Conviction
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2007	2008	2009	2010		2011
Andmn &Nico I. U.T.	261	222	363	108	56	0	0	0	0	0	0	Nil	Nil	Nil		NA
Andhra Pradesh	1063	1299	803	741	NA	146	138	88	74	1275	57	5	23	22		NA
Arunachal Pradesh	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	Nil	Nil	Nil		NA
Assam	4056	3213	3172	2332	4785	4	11	1	12	30	4	2	0	1		2
Bihar	24720	33686	22918	12288	5741	1391	1217	1481	632	576	69
Chandigarh U.T.	1475	453	1000	1497	1329	6	8	2	33	18	3	Nil	1	2	1
Chhattisgarh	1629	1413	1273	1780	NA	101	0	39	62	NA	0	0	0	2	NA
Dadra & Nagar H. U.T.	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	NA
Daman & Diu U.T.	150	378	NA	NA	NA	0	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Delhi U.T.	2587	426	508	NA	NA	248	355	389	581	614	8	14	4	Nil	NA
Goa	1754	164	72	756	225	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Gujarat	26292	8995	13711	12640	18442	276	302	195	112	240	27	17	16	23	41
Haryana	3302	3430	2739	2537	2934	Nil	251	35	210	82	3	43	33	81	120
Himachal Pradesh	2986	2321	NA	NA	NA	3	0	16	22	44	1	0	Nil	Nil	NA
Jammu & Kashmir	0	2623	2931	2144	4681	82	44	5	4	38	8	13	37	16	25
Jharkhand	1048	1450	4281	5215	NA	11	31	21	14	NA	4	1	5	3	NA
Karnataka	17333	27944	13454	13609	5478	732	287	356	479	232	180	89	311	112	48
Kerala	11128	5312	1761	NA	NA	2	4	3	NA	NA	Nil	4	Nil	Nil	NA
Lakshadweep UT	2					Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Madhya Pradesh	5817	3963	7707	5772	NA	5817	7264	7707	5772	170	58	68	447	324	NA
Maharashtra	9189	11388	7908	8472	8617	263	220	166	146	120	6	9	3	8	4
Manipur						0	0	4			0	0	Nil	Nil	4
Meghalaya	211	NA	NA	NA	388	0	NA	NA	NA	2	0	Nil	Nil	Nil	2
Mizoram	1(1997 to 2011)					Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Nagaland	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	NA
Orissa	1769	1536	891	325	766	27	194	99	16	46	2	2	1	1	5
Pondicherry U.T.	10671	14183	12200	9932		Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	10	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	7
Punjab	12728	10953	14308	12616	26386	212	76	83	415	1011	32	100	29	137	478
Rajasthan	7737	5677	5631	2024	2930	26	9	6	18	38	15	2	15	5	11
Sikkim	4163	4233	NA	NA	NA	Nil	Nil	NA	NA	NA	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	NA
Tamil Nadu	204374	195826	187101	142668	NA	789	218	79	38	26	206	295	178	56	26
Tripura	5439 (1997 to 2011)					1(1997-2011)					0	Nil	Nil	Nil	NA
Uttar Pradesh	6432	5682	5519	2135	NA	592	678	643	356	NA	0	99	198	444	NA
Uttaranchal	493	66	187	404	NA	Nil	9	Nil	2	5	Nil	nil	1	2	NA
West Bengal	2118	2285	1138	380	620	7	2	3	0	9	0	0	0	0	0

NA= Not available.

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