National Child Labour Project Scheme: Objective and Implementation

National Child Labour Project Scheme

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The National Child Labour Policy was approved by the Cabinet on 14th August 1987 during the Seventh Five Year Plan Period. The policy was formulated with the basic objective of suitably rehabilitating the children withdrawn from employment thereby reducing the incidence of child labour in areas of known concentration of child labour.

The scheme focuses on

·   All the child labours below the age of 14 years, identified in the target area.

·   All the adolescent labours below the age of 18 years, occupied in hazardous occupations or processes.

·   Families of such children mentioned in the above points.

·   The procedure for setting up of Project Societies and opening of Special Training Centres (STCs) has been simplified

·   The payment of stipend to the children is made on modular basis for a minimum of three months through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

·   The budget of Project Societies/STCs and rate of honorarium for volunteers/staff has been enhanced

·   The procedure for conducting survey has been simplified

·   Monitoring mechanism has been strengthened at national, state and district level

At present, the scheme is sanctioned in 280 districts of 21 states across the country. The minister added, "The rehabilitation of Bonded Labour, 2016 Scheme would also be implemented through the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Societies in existence. Creation of additional NCLP Societies is a continuous process depending upon the need thereof."

Objectives of NCLP

·   To eliminate all forms of child labour through

·   Identification and withdrawal of all children in the Project Area from child labour

·   Preparing children withdrawn from work for mainstream education along with vocational training

·   Ensuring convergence of services provided by different government departments/agencies for the benefit of such children and their family

·   To contribute to the withdrawal of all adolescent workers from Hazardous Occupations/ Processes and their Skilling and integration in appropriate occupations through

·   Identification and withdrawal of all adolescent workers from hazardous occupations/processes,

·   Facilitating vocational training opportunities for such adolescents through existing scheme of skill developments

·   Raising awareness amongst stakeholders and target communities, and orientation of NCLP and other functionaries on the issues of ‘Child Labour’ and ‘employment of adolescent workers in hazardous occupations and processes

·   Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.

More About National Child Labour Project

PENCIL Portal

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment launched Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal. The PENCIL portal is an electronic platform that aims at involving the general public, civil society, Governments, District, State and Centre in achieving the target of child labour free society. The portal comprises of components like National Child Labour Project and Convergence, State Government, Complaint Corner, Child Tracking System etc. District Nodal Officers (DNOs) will be nominated in each district. DNOs will receive the complaints and are required to take rescue measures in coordination with the police after checking the genuineness of complaints.

The NCLP Scheme seeks:

A. To eliminate all forms of child labour through

     i. Identification and withdrawal of all children in the Project Area from child labour,

    ii. Preparing children withdrawn from work for mainstream education along with vocational training;

    iii. Ensuring convergence of services provided by different government departments/agencies for the benefit of child and their family;

B. To contribute to the withdrawal of all adolescent workers from Hazardous Occupations / Processes and their skilling and integration in appropriate occupations through

     i. Identification and withdrawal of all adolescent workers from hazardous occupations/processes,

     ii. Facilitating vocational training opportunities for such adolescents through existing scheme of skill developments1;

C. Raising awareness amongst stakeholders and target communities, and orientation of NCLP and other functionaries on the issues of 'child labour' and 'employment of adolescent workers in hazardous occupations/processes'; and

D. Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.