Number of child labourer has declined: Govt

There has been a decline in the number of child labourer in the age group of 5-14 years in the country, Rajya Sabha was informed today.
"The total number of working children in the age group of 5-14 years in the country has declined from 1.26 crore as per Census 2001 to 43.53 lakh as per Census 2011 which is a reduction of 65 per cent," Minister of state for Labour and Employment, Vishnu Deo Sai told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
He said the government is implementing the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme for rehabilitation of child labour since 1988 in the area of high concentration.

Under this scheme, all children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued from hazardous occupations and processes and enrolled in NCLP Special Training Centres which have a provision for bridge education, vocational training, mid day meal stipend and others before being mainstreamed into formal education system.
"At present, the scheme is approved for 270 districts in 20 states for the country through approximately 6,000 Special Training Centres with enrolment of more than 2.50 lakh children," the minister said.
He said in 2011-12, 1,25,716 children were brought into mainstream while in 2013-14, 64,050 have been brought.
Replying to another question, Sai said that Women Labour Division is administering grant-in aid scheme for welfare of women labour. While in 2011-12, against an expenditure of 15.28 lakh, 52,630 women were benefited, in 2013-14, against an expenditure of 13.39 lakh, 14,700 women were benefited.