India ratifies two more ILO pacts to end child labour

India has ratified the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) two conventions on child labour reaffirming its commitment for a child labour free India, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said on Saturday.

The conventions were on the minimum age for employment and worst forms of child labour and were ratified during the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, he said.

With this, India has now ratified six of the eight core conventions with the others relating to abolition of forced labour, equal remuneration and no discrimination between men and women in employment and occupation.

"Ratification of these two core conventions means that 99 per cent of all children in the world are covered by Convention 182, elimination of worst forms of child labour, while coverage of Convention 138, minimum age for employment, has enhanced from around 60 per cent to 80 per cent of world's children population," Dattatreya told reporters.

The Minister said the government had taken a landmark step to have a child labour free society through enactment of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Prevention) Amendment Act, 2016.

The Act provides for complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years in all occupations and processes and also prohibits employment of adolescents (14-18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes, he said.

"Also, the age of admission to employment has been linked to the age of compulsory education under the Right to Education Act," Dattatreya added.

The Minister added that the government had also notified amendment to Child Labour Central Rules to ensure compliance with the provisions of the act.

"The rules for the first time provide broad and specific framework for prevention, prohibition, rescue and rehabilitation of child and adolescent workers," he said.

The 106th Session of the International Labour Conference was held from June 5 to 16 while the instruments of ratification were handed over to ILO Director General Guy Ryder on June 13, a statement said.

--IANS

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