Child labour law passed

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill that allows a child below 14 years to be employed if he or she is his/her family. In all other cases, employing a child below that age can lead to an imprisonment of up to two years.

The Rajya Sabha had passed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016, on July 19.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Varun Gandhi criticised the Bill, saying, "It's not leniency, but lunacy," while Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the amendments were "historic".

The amendment prescribes no punishment for a first-time offender parent but there is provision for penalty for repeat offenders. Gandhi wanted to know how the authorities would determine whether the parent violating the law was a first-time offender or a repeat one. He demanded the list of hazardous industries be expanded to construction activities also under the child labour laws.

The Bill defines children between 14-18 years as adolescents, and that they should not be employed in any hazardous occupations and processes. The penalty for employing a child has been increased to an imprisonment between six months and two years (from three months to one year) or a fine of Rs 20,000-Rs 50,000 (from Rs 10,000-20,000) or both. The second time offence will attract an imprisonment of one year to three years from the earlier six months and two years.

According to provisions of the Bill, no child should be employed in any occupation or process except where he or she helps his family after school hours or helps his family in fields, home based work, forest gathering or attends technical institutions during vacations for the purpose of learning.