Parliament Question: Gaps in Child Labour Law Enforcement, Exemptions and Migrant Vulnerabilities

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2658 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026 GAPS IN CHILD LABOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, EXEMPTIONS AND MIGRANT VULNERABILITIES 2658. SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a)whether the Government has assessed the concentration of child labour in unregistered and home-based informal enterprises keeps it outside regular labour inspections and if so, the details thereof; (b)whether the Government proposes to review the “family enterprise” exemption under the Child Labour (Amendment) Act, 2016, given its misuse to conceal child labour in hazardous activities and if so, the details thereof; (c)whether the Government has identified the reasons for very low conviction rates in child labour cases, including shortage of inspectors along with weak inter-agency coordination and if so, the details thereof; (d)whether the Government plans to address the vulnerability of migrant children in hazardous work arising from inconsistent definitions of a “child” across laws and weak inter-State tracking mechanisms; and (e)if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (e): Government has enacted the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 which provides for the complete prohibition of work or employment of children including migrant children below 14 years in any occupation and process. The Act also prohibits adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years to work in hazardous occupations and processes. However, children are permitted to help their families or family enterprises in non- hazardous occupations/ processes, only after school hours or during vacations. Contd..2/-:: 2 :: The Act was amended in the year 2016 and the definition of the “child” was linked to the age of compulsory education under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The government also framed the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Rules, 1988 which inter -alia, provide for District Nodal Officer (DNO) and Task Force at district level to ensure that the provisions of the Act are properly enforced. In addition, an online portal—‘PENCIL’ (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour)—was developed to monitor and track complaints. *****