Modi legalized Child Labor?

[Guynextdoor2]

How come this has not been discussed in media? WHat is the meaning of this? What is this strange thing he is doing?

@Bang Galore @SarthakGanguly @rain_man @levina


Modi Charms Chinese Kids With Selfies, But At Home...


What is it about this Government's approach towards women and children? Even as images of the Prime Minister's China trip show Narendra Modi charming Chinese children with selfies, back in India, just before the scheduled trip, he had presided over a cabinet meeting which gave approval to legalise labour of children in India below the age of 14, in "family enterprises."

 

[Parul]

#Evilmodi should be removed from PM's post & Rahul Gandhi should be made Next Pm. #ChildrenEmpowerment

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

How come this has not been discussed in media? WHat is the meaning of this? What is this strange thing he is doing?

@Bang Galore @SarthakGanguly @rain_man @levina


Modi Charms Chinese Kids With Selfies, But At Home...


What is it about this Government's approach towards women and children? Even as images of the Prime Minister's China trip show Narendra Modi charming Chinese children with selfies, back in India, just before the scheduled trip, he had presided over a cabinet meeting which gave approval to legalise labour of children in India below the age of 14, in "family enterprises."

Well, the Bill was drafted by current leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, then the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance-II’s minister of labour and employment, way back in 2012. The current version of the Bill, albeit with a few minor tweaks, is exactly the same as Kharge’s draft. Crucially, the portion on institutionalising “help” extended by children to family was part of the original draft.

Such news reports are definitely alarmist and in ways more than one. First, the government is not “sending millions of kids back into exploitative labour”. In fact, the law, in spirit, aims to do exactly the opposite – and is certainly an improvement from the current Act that legislates child labour in the country.

Besides, there is definitely some merit to the government’s contention that there is no option for some children other than to work and the best one can do in such a situation is to regulate it. While, in a fair world, that does come across as a compromise in the battle against child labour, India’s realities are far from being fair.

Second, as explained above, the controversial clause is a remnant of the previous government’s draft. When Congress says the government’s move to partially legitimise child labour is a retrograde step, which violates the Right to Education Act and defeats our aspiration to be a just society, he should perhaps do some homework on the history of the Bill, just as some sections of the media should.

For Beginners, here is what the stuff is all about -

The government, on May 13, passed an amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. The move has since come under criticism from certain quarters, with people claiming that it is a regressive step.

The current Bill provides for a complete ban on any form of child labour as opposed to the current Act, which disallowed it in only 17 “hazardous” occupations. The Bill also adds a new category of persons called “adolescent”. An adolescent means a person between 14 and 18 years of age. The Bill prohibits employment of adolescents in hazardous occupations. The penalty for employing a child has also been increased to imprisonment between six months and two years (from three months to one year) or a fine of Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 (from Rs 10,000-20,000) or both. The penalty for employing an adolescent in a hazardous occupation is the same.

People have expressed concern over a clause in the Bill that allows for a child to “help his family or family enterprises, which is other than any hazardous occupations or processes set forth in the Schedule, after his school hours or during vacations”. The new Bill also lets a child work as an “artist in an audio-visual entertainment industry, including advertisement, films, television serials or any such other entertainment or sports activities except the circus”.

It is important to note here that the Act currently in effect allows a child to work in “non-hazardous” occupations.

Reference(s):- Editorial on approval of amendments to Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 - The Hindu
Cabinet approves changes in child labour law - The Times of India
Total Ban on Child Labour a Bad Idea -The New Indian Express

 

[punit]

How come this has not been discussed in media? WHat is the meaning of this? What is this strange thing he is doing?

@Bang Galore @SarthakGanguly @rain_man @levina


Modi Charms Chinese Kids With Selfies, But At Home...


What is it about this Government's approach towards women and children? Even as images of the Prime Minister's China trip show Narendra Modi charming Chinese children with selfies, back in India, just before the scheduled trip, he had presided over a cabinet meeting which gave approval to legalise labour of children in India below the age of 14, in "family enterprises."

written by Brinda Big Bindi Karat .. in a web site owned by Her Brother In law !! hell yeah !

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Well, the Bill was drafted by Mallikarjun Kharge, the United Progressive Alliance-II’s minister of labour and employment, way back in 2012. The current version of the Bill, albeit with a few minor tweaks, is exactly the same as Kharge’s draft. Crucially, the portion on institutionalising “help” extended by children to family was part of the original draft.

Such news reports are definitely alarmist and in ways more than one. First, the government is not “sending millions of kids back into exploitative labour”. In fact, the law, in spirit, aims to do exactly the opposite – and is certainly an improvement from the current Act that legislates child labour in the country.

Besides, there is definitely some merit to the government’s contention that there is no option for some children other than to work and the best one can do in such a situation is to regulate it. While, in a fair world, that does come across as a compromise in the battle against child labour, India’s realities are far from being fair.

Second, as explained above, the controversial clause is a remnant of the previous government’s draft. When Congress says the government’s move to partially legitimise child labour is a retrograde step, which violates the Right to Education Act and defeats our aspiration to be a just society, he should perhaps do some homework on the history of the Bill, just as some sections of the media should.

UPA drafted is irrelevant, Modi could have shelved it or sent it for review. He hasn't why? This is Modi's fault not UPAs.

written by Brinda Big Bindi Karat .. in a web site owned by Her Brother In law !! hell yeah !

So if Brinda writes it, it's not Child Labor--- Bhakt Logic.

 

[Levina]

How come this has not been discussed in media? WHat is the meaning of this? What is this strange thing he is doing?

@Bang Galore @SarthakGanguly @rain_man @levina


Modi Charms Chinese Kids With Selfies, But At Home...


What is it about this Government's approach towards women and children? Even as images of the Prime Minister's China trip show Narendra Modi charming Chinese children with selfies, back in India, just before the scheduled trip, he had presided over a cabinet meeting which gave approval to legalise labour of children in India below the age of 14, in "family enterprises."

1) Brinda Karat is comparing India with China...come on!
Brinda karat completely misleads the readers by saying that China has banned child labour, although the chinese government says under special circumstances, children can work. The gov. calls it "Educational Labor." And am sure she knows all too well about the "sweatshop".


2) Child labours 're banned in bidi-making, agarbattis, carpet-weaving industries. So I'm wondering why Brinda Karat had to mention it repeatedly in her article.

3) And afaik even America allows children under 14 to work.

But I do hope that under the umbrella of amended child labour law, children who go looking for an extra source of money, dont get exploited.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

1) Brinda Karat is comparing India with China...come on!
Brinda karat completely misleads the readers by saying that China has banned child labour, albeit the chinese government says under special circumstaces, children can work. The gov. calls it "Educational Labor." And am sure she knows it all too well about the "sweatshop".

2) Child labours 're banned in bidi-making, agarbattis, carpet-weaving industries. So I'm wondering why Brinda Karat had to mention it repeatedly in her article.
But I do hope that under the umbrella of amended child labour law, children who go looking for an extra source of money, dont get exploited.

And afaik even America allows children under 14 to work.

If you live in the real world you know that this legislation will be used for all kinds of child labor.

 

[punit]

UPA drafted is irrelevant, Modi could have shelved it or sent it for review. He hasn't why? This is Modi's fault not UPAs.



So if Brinda writes it, it's not Child Labor--- Bhakt Logic.

shoo ! bootlicker of dynasty !

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

UPA drafted is irrelevant, Modi could have shelved it or sent it for review. He hasn't why? This is Modi's fault not UPAs.



So if Brinda writes it, it's not Child Labor--- Bhakt Logic.

My point is that these bloody hypocrites should stop barking for they don't have any legitimate right to do so - One should question them as to where were their concerns when they themselves were in power busy drafting the bill? What were they doing when the bill was being reviewed by the parliamentary standing committee? No one is a saint out there - a fact that everyone should be well acquainted of - as simple as that!

 

[Levina]

If you live in the real world you know that this legislation will be used for all kinds of child labor.

Yes, I do know that this law can be manipulated. But if countries like US of A and China can successfully implement such laws then why not us?
Frankly, I think poverty and socio-economic conditions in India justify children helping their families in certain occupations where the possibility of any harm coming upon 'em does not exist, and as long as this doesnt interfere with their schooling I support it.
The changes that i would like to see is
1) ‘Family enterprises’ which falls in the unorganised sector ( making it an amorphous legal category that is hard to govern) should be moved to the organised sector.
2)The law should leave no space for the defaulters to find loopholes in the law, it should be strictly adhered to.
3) This law can not implemented successfully if there's a lack of coordination among the Ministries and organisations. The laws such as RTE,Factories Act, and Workers Act should be interlinked.

 

[Nicky G]

Yet another useless topic from an agenda driven and ill-informed OP. Oh well, another day.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

My point is that these bloody hypocrites should stop barking for they don't have any legitimate right to do so - One should question them as to where were their concerns when they themselves were in power busy drafting the bill? What were they doing when the bill was being reviewed by the parliamentary standing committee? No one is a saint out there - a fact that everyone should be well acquainted of - as simple as that!

This is not the congress asking them, this is me. If the congress had written this into law I would have asked them too.

 

[Nicky G]

https://twitter.com/x/status/598769510229880832

No half measures please - TOI Blogs

 

[Steve781]

Does India have universal public education or is it still necessary to pay?

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Does India have universal public education or is it still necessary to pay?

We have provisions for free and compulsory universal primary education The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE) describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 as a fundamental right.

Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Making significant progress, India has reduced its "out of school" children by over 90 per cent and has achieved "universal primary education", according to a UNESCO global education report.

Education for All 2000-2015: India is first in the race to reduce out of school children | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
India Has Achieved 'Universal Primary Education': UNESCO
India reduces 'out of school' children by 90 per cent: UNESCO - timesofindia-economictimes