Lok Sabha passes child labour Bill despite opposition from children's rights activists

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016, despite opposition by several MPs protesting against provisions that allow a child to help out in family enterprises after school hours.

Many other children's rights activists including Unicef have raised concerns about the provision in the Child Labour Amendment Bill, 2016.

As per the children's rights activists, the provision allowing a child below 14 years of age to help in family enterprises can be blatantly misused by many and lead to "victimisation of children" in their poverty. The bill makes employing a child below 14 years of age, except where the child helps the family in earning livelihood, punishable by a jail term of up to two years and even provides for a penalty for parents

Voicing concern on the amendments in the Child Labour Bill, Euphrates Gobina,UNICEF Chief of Education in India said, "Under the new Child Labour Act, the more invisible forms of child labour and exploitation may go unseen and the most vulnerable and marginalised children may end up with irregular school attendance, lower levels of learning,".