Assessing the impact of national child labour policy 1987 and national child labour projects (NCLPS) in elimination of child labour in India

Abstract

Child labour is a global problem that demands world wide response. The Indian government is Pro-active in its legislative action plan to address the child labour problem. The National policy on child labour-1987 and National Child Labour Project, being its operational strategy is the Indian response for the elimination of child labour. The present study attempted to study the functioning of two representative NCLPs from two states of India having the largest number of child labourers. The hypothesis formulated for the study was that National Child labour policy and NCLP are highly inadequate as they lack a holistic and an integrated approach in their conceptual, institutionary and implementational aspects and in their overall design. The methodology adopted was the mixture or both qualitative and quantitative methodology. The key research findings are briefly described as follow.1) The National Policy has denied free and compulsory education to the child labourers working in non hazardous occupation. It also denied the right of health care. Thus the policy has compromised with the most of the articles ofC.R.C.2) The vicious cycle of poverty perpetuate child labour. The national policy failed to breake the cycle, as it has not successful in helping the parents of child labourers with package of economic assistance and skill upgradation, spelt out in the policy.3) The standard of the vocational training is poor and not in tune with the market demand. In spite of freedom and authority to design quality and productive vocational training, it did not happen due to the bureaucratisation of project society and concentration of decision making at the hands of the chairperson of NCLP. Thus the students of special schools graduated to adult hood remain unproductive and could not come out of the poverty level.4) The study found very low awareness of civil society, especially the parents of students of special schools. They found to be sending their other childrens to work instead of school.5) There is mixed result of enforcement of legislative action plan at two NCLPs studied. Without commitment and aligning with the goal and objective of NCLP, the enforcement machinery at district level could not deter the erring employer engaging child labour.6) The low involvement of various stakeholder in elimination of child labour is resulting in less than desired results of NCLPs.7) The lack of interdepartmental coordination and heralding convergance also contributing to the slow progress of NCLPs. The study finally suggested based on interaction with few reputed NGOs working in the field of child labour a new revamped policy capable of addressing the inadequancies found in the present state of functioning of NCLPs. If adopted, the new policy can eliminate child labour from the project area over a period of time.