Labour Minister, UP government officials, UNICEF, stakeholders and children join hands to end child labour and ensure children’s right to education, protection and dignity at a state-level programme organized by Labour Department and UNICEF
Lucknow: Anil Rajbhar, Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, Government of Uttar Pradesh, reinforced the Chief Minister’s commitment to make Uttar Pradesh Child-Labour free by 2027. He was speaking at state-level programme organized jointly by the Department of Labour, UP and UNICEF, at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow, today, to mark the culmination of a week-long, state-wide campaign, initiated from 12 June, World Day against Child Labour to 19 June. Mr. Anil Rajbhar stated that Honorable Chief Minister has set the target to eliminate child labour by 2027, and his department together with all departments and key stakeholders will make concerted efforts to achieve this target by implementing the State Action Plan.
Mr. Rajbhar mentioned that the highest number of child labourers are in Africa, followed by Asia, with India and specifically Uttar Pradesh having a considerable share, which is a matter of great concern and challenge for us. On this occasion, two posters related to State Plan of Action and a booklet related to schemes for elimination and rehabilitation of child labour were released by the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Anil Rajbhar.
At the beginning of the program, Kunal Silkku, Special Secretary, Labour and Employment, welcomed and greeted all the guests, officials from various departments, and other participants present at the event. UNICEF Program Manager Amit Mehrotra said that “Child labour is a violation of every child’s right to education, play and protection from exploitation. UNICEF is committed to working with the Uttar Pradesh government towards strengthening implementation of State Action Plan to make Uttar Pradesh a child-labour free state by 2027. Mr Mehrotra called for the need for robust, disaggregated data on child labour and adolescent labour, both girls and boys, in hazardous and non-hazardous employment. He reminded that the amendment in child labour law in 2016, provided for regulation of work conditions of adolescent labour (14-18 years).
Labour Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh, Markandey Shahi, highlighted that the Labour Department identified and rehabilitated over 11,000 child labourers last year, and this process will continue until the state is free from child labour. For this purpose, we are emphasizing strategies such as monitoring at the panchayat level, child rehabilitation funds, and inter-departmental coordination.
Principal Secretary, Lbour Department, Dr. M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram, emphasized the importance of World Day Against Child Labour and appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders. Dr. Sundaram stressed inter-departmental coordination and mentioned that soon, we will work extensively on the State Action Plan with UNICEF. He appreciated the support provided by UNICEF.
Dr. Sundaram said that “Child labour is not just a social issue but a global challenge. We need to set an example in our state to ensure every child goes to school and lives a life of dignity.”
The main findings of the global report released by ILO and UNICEF on 11 June in Geneva were shared during the program. According to the report, in 2024, 138 million children worldwide were involved in child labour, with 54 million engaged in hazardous work. The report warned that if the pace of progress remains the same, the global Sustainable Development goal (SDG)of eliminating child labour by 2025 will not be achieved without efforts 11 times faster. . The report shows that over 64% of child labour is concentrated in the agricultural sector, with the rest in domestic and small industries. India’s situation is also concerning, with the 2011 census indicating that there are over 10 million child labourers in the country, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for approximately 21 lakh child workers.
Deep Awasthi, a member of the Child Welfare Committee Kanpur, informed about the role of Child Welfare Committees in the elimination and rehabilitation of child labour.
Pooja Yadav, Director General of Atal Residential Schools, informed about the progress of Atal Residential Schools in UP which are benefitting the most vulnerable children, rescued from child labour, and presented a brief documentary on the same.
On this occasion, senior officials of departments mentioned in the State Action Plan for the elimination and rehabilitation of child labour, highlighted their department’s role, progress challenges and plans. Presentations were made by Mr. Madhav from the Education Department, B.S. Niranjan from the Women Welfare and Child Development Department, Dr. C.S. Bajpai from the Medical, Health, and Family Welfare Department, and officials from the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department.
Two girls, Payal and Mahi, who were freed from begging, and now studying, were also honored. They shared their life stories and expressed their desire to become doctors in the future.
Additionally, children who have benefitted from the Bal Shramik Vidya Yojna in Lucknow and Kanpur, including Anika Yadav, Samriddhi Yadav, Abhishek Vishwakarma, Abhinav Vishwakarma, Anaya Gupta, Palak Kashyap, Paras Kashyap, Fara, and Hifza, and beneficiaries of maternity and child welfare benefits under the Uttar Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, including Ashok Kumar, Kunti Yadav, Rahul Lodhi, and Anit, were also honoured by the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment.
The program was also addressed by Anil Upadhyay, General Secretary of the Indian Labour Union, and the Chairperson of IIA. Labour Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh, Markandey Shahi, administered an oath to all participants regarding the elimination and rehabilitation of child labour.
In the closing session of the program, representatives of the Employer Association and trade unions jointly expressed their commitment against child labour. During this time, 10 districts, namely Gautam Buddha Nagar, Meerut, Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Agra, Jaunpur, Unnao, Muzaffarnagar, and Azamgarh, were honored for their excellent work in child labour elimination, and certificates were distributed to approximately 50 beneficiaries of various schemes, including the Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana.
The program saw the presence of officials from the Labour Department, police, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Education, Social Welfare Department, UNICEF, families of child labourers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, students and representatives of educational institutions, police officers, beneficiary children, and over 1,000 participants.
Milind Dwivedi, Poonam Singh from Child Welfare Committee, Virendra Pal from Protection Unit, Assistant Labor Commissioner R L Swarnkar, Labor Enforcement Officer, Ankit Singh, Rakesh Pal, Manoj, Anti-Human Trafficking Police Officer Mrs. Pushpa Yadav, Constable Suman were also present there
