The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 receives the assent of the President on 29th July, 2016. The Act came into force in order to amend Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. Mentioned below are following amendments which have taken place due to the amendment Act.

• It amended the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which prohibits the engagement of children in certain types of occupations and regulates the condition of work of children in other occupations.
• The original act prohibited employment of children below 14 years in certain occupations such as automobile workshops, bidi-making, carpet weaving, handloom and power loom industry, mines and domestic work.In light of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the amended Act now prohobits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations except where the child helps his family after school hours.
• It adds a new category of persons called “adolescent”.An adolescent means a person between 14 and 18 years of age.The Bill prohibits employment of adolescents in hazardous occupations as specified (mines, inflammable substance and hazardous processes).