The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed state governments and various export promotion councils to set up a self-regulatory mechanism to check child labour from supply to export stage.

In a recent meeting between the Union Textile Minister Shankersinh Vaghela and the chief secretaries of the states, chairman of the NCPCR Shanta Sinha voiced her concerns, saying: “Children are being employed by many informal and household sectors. Newer forms of child labour are being discovered every day by media and social activists.” She added that the Commission has taken cognizance of reports of children being trafficked and employed in BT cotton fields, as well as crafts such as zari and embroidery. “Despite the notification prohibiting employment of children in shops and other establishments, there are millions of children still being engaged as help in this sector,” she said.

NCPCR has asked the export promotion councils to put in place self-regulatory systems to certify non-engagement of child labour right from the supply to export stages of the manufacturing process. Besides this, directives have also gone to the chief secretaries of all states to strengthen enforcement of laws related to Child labour such as the Juvenile Justice Act, 2006, Bonded Labour Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.

The Allahabad HC ruled on Wednesday that a dispute over alleged child labour may be resolved by having the ‘child’s’ age ascertained only by a medical authority via the concerned labour enforcement officer.