Government Initiatives on Anti-Child Labour Day
This year’s World Day against Child Labour focuses on action taken for the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. It is the first World Day on the worst forms of child labour and takes place at time when the COVID-19 crisis threatens to reverse years of progress in tackling the problem. The Indian Central and state governments have announced several relief measures. Even the prime minister has announced support from his PM Cares Fund. According to the reports provided by state governments and UTs for the period between April and May 25, there are 577 such children. The government has announced that a sum of Rs 10 lakh from the existing Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) in every district would be allocated for these children. The relief measures include a corpus of Rs 10 lakh allocated per child, to be utilised after the child attains 18 years of age, to pursue higher education and to give a monthly financial support/ stipend from 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education and on reaching the age of 23 years, he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use. Simultaneously, as per its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court of India, the NCPCR launched a portal, Bal Swaraj, to provide accurate national figures. According to the affidavit submitted by it to the Supreme Court on June 6, 2021, as per the latest data received on this portal for the period between April 1, 2021, and June 5, 2021, 3,621 children were orphaned, 26,176 children lost one parent and 274 children had been abandoned. Various state governments have announced their relief measures for children orphaned during the pandemic. The Maharashtra government has said that fixed deposits of Rs 5 lakh will be made in the name of children who have lost one or both parents to COVID-19. They will also get a monthly allowance of Rs 1,125. Punjab has announced that it will provide Rs 1,500 per month as social security pension and free education up to graduation to all those children orphaned in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rajasthan government has promised relief to the orphans who will be identified through nodal officers. And Karnataka has announced a special Bal Seva scheme under which Rs 3,500 per month will be given to guardians/ caretakers of such children. Children below 10 years old, who do not have guardians, will be put under registered childcare institutions and admitted to model residential schools, and children who have completed Class 10, will get a free laptop or a tablet. For women who have completed 21 years, Rs 1 lakh will be provided for their marriage expenses, higher education or self-employment.
Tags : News/Views Government Initiatives World Day against Child Labour