UN panel wants India to amend child labour laws

["Ulhas Joglekar" <ulhasj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

2 February 2000

UN panel wants India to amend child labour laws
The Times of India News Service
NEW DELHI: The UN's committee on rights of the child, at its
recently-concluded meeting, has told India that it should take steps to
amend child labour laws so that its coverage includes agriculture and other
informal sectors.
At the same time, it has said that states and districts establish and
oversee child labour vigilance committee and ensure that a sufficient number
of labour inspectors were adequately resourced to effectively carry out
their work.
These recommendations followed a report submitted by India regarding the
country's efforts to promote and protect children's rights and the extent to
which it has implemented the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC).
Among the other suggestions lsited by the committee include a recommendation
that states abolish the discriminatory practice of ``untouchability'',
prevent caste and tribe-motivated abuse and prosecute those responsible for
such abuses.
The committee noted that extreme poverty, which affected a significant part
of India's population, the impact of structural adjustment and natural
disasters were factors which represented serious difficulties to the
fulfilment of India's obligations under the convention. At the same time,
the committee was encouraged by the existence of constitutional and
legislative provisions and institutions for the protection of children's
rights.
The committee has said India should take legislative measures to prohibit
all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment and
sexual abuse against children in family, schools and care institutions. It
also suggested that India review its laws in the administration of juvenile
justice to ensure that they were in accordance with the convention and in
order to combat trafficking in children, the penal code contains provisions
against kidnapping and abduction.
It further asked the Indian government to undertake studies and develop
measures to address the prevailing disparities in access to education,
ensure that the quality of non-formal education schemes was monitored and
guaranteed and that working and other children who participated in such
schemes were integrated into mainstream education.
For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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