Centre’s proposed amendments in Child Labour, JJ law imperfect: Activist

The need for changing the Child Labour Act 1986 (CLPRA) that allowed children of all ages to work in what was classified as non-hazardous occupations and processes has been a long standing demand of all child rights activists. Once the Right to Education (RTE) was made a fundamental right, and with the passing of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009), this demand became even louder as the two laws were not in sync with each other.

Hence, the move to change the CLPRA in 2012 and then again in 2014 was a welcome step. Except that with the inclusion of the exception in Section 3 and the substitution of the Schedule in 3A has taken away all the good and progressive move the government was promising to children.