THE CHILD LABOUR (PROHIBITION AND REGULATION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2016

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012 aims to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. The bill seeks to prohibit the employment of children in all occupations and processes, except where they help their families after school hours or attend technical institutions during vacations for learning purposes. It also proposes to prohibit the employment of adolescents in hazardous occupations and processes. The bill aims to facilitate the enrolment of children in schools in view of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The amendment provides for enhanced punishments for employers who contravene the provisions, with imprisonment terms ranging from six months to two years or fines of up to fifty thousand rupees. The bill also empowers the Central Government to add or omit any hazardous occupation or process from the Schedule and makes periodic inspections of places where children are prohibited and hazardous occupations are carried out.