ENGLISH INTEGRATED PROJECT CHENNAI- 600 127

SHRI KRISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SUBMITTED

BY-:
1.SHIVANSH AGARWAL
2.VIGNESHWAR.S CLASSXII
3.VISHWESHWAR.S
4.S.JANARDHAN
5.LAKSHMI.NARAYAN
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Anees Jung is an author. Journalist and a columnist for major newspapers of India
and abroad. She was born in Rourkela in 1944 in an aristocratic family. Her father,
Nawab Hosh Yar Jung, was a renowned scholar and poet. He was the advise to the
last Nizam of Hyderabad princely state.

Her mother and brother are also Urdu poets.

Her schooling and graduation were completed from her hometown.
Later she went abroad for higher studies.
She did her masters in Sociology and American studies from University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, US.
She started her career in literal wring with the Youth Times, a Times of India
publication, where she worked as a journalist and editor (1973 to 1980).
She has subsequently worked for The Christian Science Monitor and the
International Herald Tribune. She published several books dealing with social
issues including abused children and women’s problems. Jung is noted for her
lively and vivid descriptions, though she rarely gives its solutions. Jung published
Unveiling India in 1987. It is a travel diary focusing on interviews with women.
She has written several subsequent books on the same, talking to women about
their everyday lives, including Night of the New Moon: Encounters with Muslim
women in India (1993), Seven Sisters (1994). Breaking the Silence (1997) is based
on conversations on women's lives from around the world.
Summary of the story Lost Spring: ‘Lost Spring’,
Written by Indian writer Anees Jung, is an excerpt from her book ‘Lost Spring,
Stories of Stolen Childhood’. In it, she analyses the lives of children living in
poverty. This chapter presents stories about two children who face poverty in all
aspects of their lives and yet have the courage to dream big. The writer, Anees
Jung, is the narrator in both stories in the chapter. ‘Sometimes I Find a Rupee in
the Garbage’ The narrator talks about a boy named Saheb. He is a ragpicker
whom the narrator sees every morning. She talks to him and finds out that he
came from Dhaka long back when, according to his mother, his house was swept
away by storms. That was the reason why his family had come here to earn a
living. The narrator asks him to join a school, but he replies that there is no school
in his neighbourhood. The narrator promises him that she will start a school, and
he is welcome there. Saheb’s face lights up. A few days later, Saheb comes up to
the narrator, asking her if her school is ready. The narrator realises that promises
like these are made to children like Saheb all the time, and they are never kept.
The narrator goes on to talk about how children in extreme poverty live and what
the conditions surrounding them are like. She talks about how children walk
barefoot on the streets, and the excuse given for this is that it’s a tradition to walk
barefoot. She thinks that more than tradition,
it might be an excuse to justify a continuous state of poverty. She remembers
another incident where a man from Udipi told her that he used to pray for a pair
of shoes at a temple in his childhood. Thirty years later, when the narrator visited
the temple and the town, she could see a little boy walking in his shoes. Their
prayers were answered. To give us a background of Saheb, the narrator talks
about Seemapuri – a place near Delhi where the ragpickers who came from
Bangladesh in 1971 settled down. They have not been given any identities or
permits. Only ration cards are given to them that help them eat food and vote for
politicians. They are deprived of any other rights. Over the years, ragpicking has
become an art for them. To a child like Saheb, finding a rupee or a ten rupees
note is a big achievement. One day, she sees Saheb wearing a pair of tennis
shoes. One of them had a hole in it, and it did not seem to bother him because it
was a dream come true for a child who had always walked barefoot. Later, the
narrator sees Saheb with a steel canister in his hand. She learns that he has
started working at a tea stall recently and is paid 800 rupees in addition to daily
meals. When asked if he was happy with his new job, Saheb looked downcast. He
was working under someone, and his freedom was taken away from him. He no
longer had a carefree attitude, and the steel canister seemed heavier than the
plastic bag that he used to carry for ragpicking.
‘I Want to Drive a Car’
This excerpt is about the fate of bangle makers in Firozabad. The author portrays
the kind of poverty that looms over the houses and streets of bangle makers in this
town. Mukesh, a young boy from Firozabad takes the narrator to his house, where
she discovers the grim conditions under which the people work — around furnaces
with high temperatures without proper air or light. They do not know that it is
illegal for children to be working under these kinds of conditions. The narrator
observes that bangle-making is done by people belonging to a particular caste
specialising in it. The art has been passed down from parents to their children for
generations. Even after the whole family worked at the bangle factory, they
remained poor. Mukesh’s family was not able to build a proper house yet. The
same is the fate of other people living in this area. The sorrow and desperation of
being unable to feed themselves even three proper meals daily reduced their
courage to fight against the situation.
When asked why they cannot form a cooperative to improve their living
conditions, they said they fear being beaten and hauled away by the police for
doing something illegal. Their fathers and forefathers were trapped by
middlemen. The younger generations are still paying the price for that. The bangle
makers are downtrodden due to the poverty and stigma of their caste. The
narrator points out the presence of a vicious circle here: The involvement of
sahukars, policemen and middleman who do not let these people rise up in
society. Therefore no one dares to break away from this line of the profession,
from this tragic world of poverty and suppression. Mukesh dreams of being a
motor mechanic, and the narrator sees a flash of rebellion in his eyes. She asked
him if he would like to be a pilot someday. Mukesh seemed embarrassed and
replied that he was happy dreaming about being a motor mechanic. Flying a plane
was a dream beyond his reach.

Conclusion of Lost Spring

The lost spring summary shows how we humans create a vicious circle of
suppression and torture for our fellow human beings that leads to a social and
economic imbalance in society. While one class of human beings get to enjoy the
benefits of human rights and identity, another class of human beings is subjected
to fear of entrapment and punishment with the wrongful use of socioeconomic
politics. The most affected victims of these processes are innocent children who
miss out on their rights as human beings, when they are employed before they
come of age or are deprived of basic needs such as education, clothes, shelter and
food. These children lead to another generation of impoverished and illiterate
children — a vicious circle that keeps continuing till they are obliged to accept
that it’s their fate.
INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT:

Children are the greatest gift to humanity and Childhood is an important and
impressionable stage of human development as it holds the potential to the
future development of any society. Children who are brought up in an
environment, which is conducive to their intellectual, physical and social health,
grow up to be responsible and productive members of society. Every nation links
its future with the present status of its children. By performing work when they
are too young for the task, children unduly reduce their present welfare or their
future income earning capabilities, either by shrinking their future external choice
sets or by reducing their own future individual productive capabilities. Under
extreme economic distress, children are forced to forego educational
opportunities and take up jobs which are mostly exploitative as they are usually
underpaid and engaged in hazardous conditions. Parents decide to send their
child for engaging in a job as a desperate measure due to poor economic
conditions. It is therefore no wonder that the poor households predominantly
send their children to work in early ages of their life. One of the disconcerting
aspects of child labour is that children are sent to work at the expense of
education. There is a strong effect of child labour on school attendance rates and
the length of a child’s work day is negatively associated with his or her capacity to
attend school. Child labour restricts the right of children to access and benefit
from education and denies the fundamental opportunity to attend school. Child
labour, thus, prejudices children’s education and adversely affects their health
and safety. India has all along followed a proactive policy in addressing the
problem of child labour and has always stood for constitutional, statutory and
developmental measures that are required to eliminate child labour. The
Constitution of India has relevant provisions to secure compulsory universal
primary education. Labour Commissions and Committees have gone into the
problems of child labour and made extensive recommendations. India’s judiciary,
right up to the apex. level, has demonstrated profoundly empathetic responses
against the practice of child labour. Despite several proactive legislations, policies
and judicial prouncements, the problem of child labour persists as a challenge to
the country.
Magnitude of child labour in India:
The magnitude of child labour in India has been witnessing enormous decline in
the last two decades, both in terms of magnitude and workforce participation
rates. Evidence drawn from the National Sample Survey data suggest that India’s
child workforce during 2004- 05 was estimated at little over nine million (9.07
million) as against twenty-one and half million (21.55 million) in 1983. During this
period, the number of child employment has declined sharply by 12.48 million.
There is considerable fall in child workforce is observed among boys than girls.
The corresponding fall in boys and girls workforce during 1983 to 2004-05 is
observed to have decreased from 12.06 to 4.76 million, and 9.49 to 4.31 million,
respectively. In effect, the gender difference that existed between boys and girls
(adverse against boys) during the early 1980s has almost dissipated in recent
years, the difference being slowed down from 2.57 million to roughly 0.45 million.
However, in absolute numbers, the problem is large. As per the Census 2001,
there are 1.26 crores economically active children in the age-group of 5-14 years.
It was 1.13 crores in the 1991 Census. The number of working children in the
major child labour endemic states as per the and 2001and 2011 Census is given
below:
State wise details of working children in the age group of 5-14 years as per
Census 2001 and Census 2011 are as under:
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh accounts for a larger share of close to onefourth of
all child labour in India followed by Andhra Pradesh. While Maharastra and West
Bengal respectively garnered nine and eight percent of India’s child employment.
The share of Uttar Pradesh has dramatically shot up in the last one decade from
less than 13 per cent in the mid-1990s to close to 23 per cent in 2004-05, which is a
cause for serious concern. On the other hand, the share of Andhra Pradesh seems to
have declined quite considerably during this period. The occupation-wise data of
children in this age group of 5-14 working in the non-agricultural sector has been
classified. Though these occupations in the Census data do not match with the
occupations listed as hazardous under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)
Act, a tentative segregation of data into hazardous & non-hazardous occupations
gives a broad estimation of children working in different occupations. As per this
data, 36.43 lakh children in the age group of 5-14 years are working in non-
agricultural sector in the country, out of which 12.19 lakh children are working in
hazardous occupations. Their distribution in some major hazardous occupations is
given below:

Number of child workers (5-14 years) engaged in Hazardous

occupations as per 2001 Census
As per Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group (5-14)
years is 259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million (3.9% of total child population) are
working, either as ‘main worker’ or as ‘marginal worker’. In addition, more than
42.7 million children in India are out of school. However, the good news is that the
incidence of child labour has decreased in India by 2.6 million between 2001 and
2011. However, the decline was more visible in rural areas, while the number of
child workers has increased in urban areas, indicating the growing demand for
child workers in menial jobs. Child labour has different ramifications in both rural
and urban India

Distribution of working children by type of work in 2011

STATES WITH HIGH INCIDENCES OF CHILD LABOUR
Together, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh
constitute nearly 55% of total working children in India.
Global Scenario
Empirical estimates of the ILO show that the number of economically active
children in the world in the age group 5-14 years was nearly 191 million in 2004,
with a work participation rate of 15.8 per cent. Children involved in hazardous
work comprise around 38.7 per cent of global child labour population. Among the
different regions, largest number of child workers, 122 million constituting 64%
was concentrated in Asia and the Pacific, within which India accounts for a
substantial size. In four years, from the year 2000 to 2004, the number of child
labour globally fell by 11 per cent. During this period the magnitude of children in
hazardous work decreased by 26 per cent. The decline was even steeper (33 per
cent) for children in hazardous work in the age group of 5-14 years. The global
picture shows a declining trend i.e. the more harmful the work and the more
vulnerable the children involved, the faster the decline. In Latin America and the
Caribbean the number of children at work has fallen by two-thirds over these four
years with the child work participation rate at 5 per cent. Interestingly, the
activity rate of children in this age group in India as per Census 2001 is 5%, which
has come down from 5.7% in 1991. Sub-Saharan Africa observed to have made
the least progress where the rates of population growth, HIV/AIDS infection and
child labour remain alarmingly high. In the Global Report of the ILO, it has been
highlighted that the combination of political will, effective utilization of resources
and the right policy choices can definitely contribute in a great way to end child
labour worldwide.
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES:
 Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act(1986) to prohibit the engagement of children
in certain employments and to regulate the conditions of work of children in certain other
employments
 Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016 : The Amendment Act
completely prohibits the employment of children below 14 years.
 The amendment also prohibits the employment of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18
years in hazardous occupations and processes and regulates their working conditions where they
are not prohibited.  On World Day Against Child Labour (June 12) in 2017, India ratified two
core conventions of the International Labour Organization on child labour.
 National Policy on Child Labour (1987), with a focus more on rehabilitation of children
working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention.
 Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act2000 and amendment of the JJ Act in
2006: includes the working child in the category of children in need of care and protection,
without any limitation of age or type of occupation.
 Section 23 (cruelty to Juvenile) and Section 26 (exploitation of juvenile employee) specifically
deal with child labour under children in need of care and protection.
 Pencil: The government has launched a dedicated platform viz. pencil.gov.in to ensure
effective enforcement of child labour laws and end child labour.
 The Right to Education Act 2009 has made it mandatory for the state to ensure that all children
aged six to 14 years are in school and receive free education. Along with Article 21A of the
Constitution of India recognizing education as a fundamental right, this constitutes a timely
opportunity to use education to combat child labour in India.
 Amendments made to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act prescribes severe punishment for people found guilty of retaining bonded labour.
 The amendment stipulates rigorous imprisonment for those who force children to beg, handle
or carry human waste and animal carcasses.
 The draft National Policy for Domestic Workers, when goes into force, will ensure minimum
Rs.9,000 salary for household helpers.
 Every police station in the country has a separate cell for juvenile, women and child
protection.
 Many NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, CARE India, Child Rights and You, Global
march against child labour, RIDE India, Child line etc. have been working to eradicate child
labour in India.
Elimination of Child Labour in India – Coordination with ILO The
International Labour Organisation (ILO)

launched the International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) in

the year 1991 with the objective to end child labour globally. India was the first
country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the year 1992.
During the 11th Plan Period, three Projects viz., INDUS Project, Andhra Pradesh
Phase-II & Karnataka Project were implemented in the country under ILO-IPEC.
Jointly funded by the10 Ministry of Labour, Government of India and the
Department of Labour, United States of America (USDOL), the INDUS Child
Labour Project was implemented in ten hazardous sectors in 21 districts across five
states viz. Delhi (NCT Delhi), Maharashtra (Districts of Amravati, Jalna,
Aurangabad, Gondia and Mumbai Suburban), Madhya Pradesh (Districts of
Damoh, Sagar, Jabalpur, Satna and Katni), Tamil Nadu (Districts of Kanchipuram,
Thiruvannamalai, Tiruvallur, Namakkal
Virudhunagar) and Uttar Pradesh(Districts of Moradabad , Allahabad, Kanpur
Nagar, Aligarh and Firozabad). The project adopted a participatory method to
identify beneficiaries and enrolling child workers in schools, transitional education
centres and vocational training centres was seen as a key strategy for rehabilitation
of child and adolescent workers withdrawn from work. The project was
instrumental in the operationalising the public education component in the field.
The Project also developed income generation strategies for child labour
elimination by linking child labour families with the ongoing government schemes
that provide access to micro credit and subsidies. The project has systematically
worked at developing a comprehensive multipronged communication strategy. A
variety of tools have been developed to aid awareness raising efforts at the field
level. Through its Action Programmes, the INDUS project worked towards
sensitising and building capacities of key government agencies and civil society
partners in project states on child labour. The project, through an action research to
study the occupational health and safety made efforts to develop interim solutions
to protect adolescents and young adults from hazards at work places. The project
has also operationalised a beneficiary tracking system, for tracking and following
up on the progress of all project beneficiaries. Through this project, an estimated
103,152 child and adolescent workers were withdrawn and rehabilitated. The
Project was concluded in March 2009.
Steps taken for dealing with Child Labour during the 12th Five Year
Plan Period
1. Legislative Measures: The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)
Amendment Act, 2016, was enacted to prohibit the employment of children below
14 years in all occupations and processes, and of adolescents (14-18 years) in
hazardous occupations2.
2. National Child Labour Project (NCLP): This scheme was continued and
strengthened to rehabilitate child labourers through special training centres where
they received education, vocational training, and mid-day meals before being
mainstreamed into formal education.
3. PENCIL Portal: The Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour
(PENCIL) was launched to ensure effective enforcement of child labour laws and
to coordinate efforts among various stakeholders.
4. Right to Education Act: Efforts were made to ensure the implementation of the
Right to Education Act, which mandates free and compulsory education for
children aged 6 to 14 years.
5. Awareness Campaigns: Various awareness campaigns were conducted to
educate the public about the negative impacts of child labour and the importance of
education. These campaigns aimed to change societal attitudes towards child
labour and to encourage communities to support the education of children. The
government collaborated with NGOs, civil society organizations, and international
agencies to amplify the reach and impact of these campaigns.

Rehabilitation and Support Programs

In addition to the NCLP, other rehabilitation and support programs were
implemented to provide holistic support to rescued child labourers. These
programs included psychological counseling, health check-ups, and skill
development training. The aim was to ensure that rescued children could
reintegrate into society and leadproductive lives.
International Cooperation
India ratified key International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on child
labour, demonstrating its commitment to global standards. The government also
collaborated with international organizations to share best practices and to
strengthen its efforts to combat child labour.
NGO Involvement
Numerous NGOs played a crucial role in the fight against child labour.
Organizations such as Bachpan Bachao Andolan and Child Rights and You (CRY)
worked alongside the government to rescue and rehabilitate child labourers. These
NGOs also conducted grassroots-level awareness campaigns and provided support
to families to ensure that children could attend school.
Monitoring and Evaluation

The government established mechanisms for the monitoring and evaluation of

child labour elimination programs. Regular assessments were conducted to
measure the effectiveness of various initiatives and to identify areas for
improvement. Data collected through these assessments informed policy decisions
and helped to refine strategies for combating child labour.

Challenges and Future Directions

Despite significant progress, challenges remained in the fight against child labour.
These included poverty, lack of access to quality education, and societal attitudes
towards child labour. The government recognized the need for a multi-faceted
approach that addressed the root causes of child labour. Future efforts would focus
on strengthening the legislative framework, enhancing the quality of education,
and providing economic support to vulnerable families. In conclusion, the
measures taken by India during the 12th Five Year Plan to abolish child labour
were comprehensive and multidimensional. The combination of legislative action,
rehabilitation programs, awareness campaigns, and international cooperation aimed
to create a child labour-free society. Continued efforts and sustained commitment
are essential to achieving this goal and ensuring a brighter future for all children in
India.

Strengthening Institutional Frameworks

During the 12th Five Year Plan, India focused on strengthening institutional
frameworks to combat child labour. This involved enhancing the capacity of
existing institutions and creating new ones to effectively address the issue. The
Ministry of Labour and Employment played a pivotal role in coordinating efforts
and implementing policies aimed at eradicating child labour. State governments
were also encouraged to set up dedicated child labour cells to monitor and enforce
child labour laws at the local level.

Enhancing Data Collection and Research

Accurate data collection and research were crucial for understanding the extent of
child labour and formulating effective policies. The government conducted
comprehensive surveys and studies to gather data on child labour across different
sectors and regions. This data was used to identify high-risk areas and target
interventions more effectively. Research institutions and universities were also
involved in studying the root causes of child labour and evaluating the impact of
various initiatives.
Economic Support and Poverty Alleviation

Poverty is one of the primary drivers of child labour. To address this, the 12th Five
Year Plan included measures to provide economic support to vulnerable families.
Programs such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) aimed to provide employment opportunities and improve the
livelihoods of rural households. Financial assistance schemes and social security
programs were also implemented to support families and reduce their dependence
on child labour.

Skill Development and Vocational Training

Skill development and vocational training were key components of the strategy to
combat child labour. The government established vocational training centres to
provide skill development opportunities for adolescents and young adults. These
centres offered training in various trades and crafts, enabling individuals to secure
better employment opportunities and break the cycle of poverty. The focus was on
providing market-relevant skills that could lead to sustainable livelihoods.
27th May and 8th July 2011 (Minutes enclosed at Annexure XIII and XIV). The
broad highlights of the suggestions are:
➢ The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act should be strengthened and
amended.
➢ The problems of working children of the migratory families should be
addressed. Child labour survey should specifically capture migration of children.
Residential schools should be opened in each Metro and Mega cities and also in
every district.
➢ It is important to run residential schools for rehabilitation of child labour.
➢ The NCLP Scheme should expand further to a large geographical coverage.
➢ Emphasis should be given to the monitoring and tracking of NCLP school
children.
➢ The convergence approach should be followed to enhance social protection and
welfare measures for working children.
➢ The NCLP Scheme should be realigned in the light of Right to Education Act
2009. Teachers of the NCLP Special schools should be properly trained.
➢ Three tier Monitoring Committee at the District, State and National level should
be made for effective implementation and monitoring of the NCLP Scheme. ➢
Panchayati Raj Institutions should be involved in monitoring and tracking of child
labour.

CONCLUSION:
Child labour is a serious hindrance to the social and economic development of the
nation. Children employed in various sectors fail to get the necessary education,
virtually forced to lead a life of hardship and poverty. It also affects the overall
health of a child, as children get exhausted easily and are not physically fit to work
for longer durations under difficult conditions. Children employed in glass and
firecracker industries work not only for longer hours but also under hazardous
conditions, seriously compromising their health. They are continuously exposed to
toxic gases and substances leading to various skin and respiratory ailments. We
suggest for a new approach that puts people and the work they do at the center of
economic and social policy and business practice: a human-centered agenda for the
future of work. This agenda focuses on three pillars of action. First, it means
investing in people’s capabilities, enabling them to acquire skills, reskill and
upskill and supporting them through the various transitions they will face over
their life course. Second, investing in the institutions of work to ensure a future of
work with freedom, dignity, economic security, and equality. Third, investing in
decent and sustainable work and shaping rules and incentives so as to align
economic and social policy and business practice with this agenda. By harnessing
transformative technologies, demographic opportunities, and the green economy,
these investments can be powerful drivers of equity and sustainability for the
present and future generations.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
This project would be nearly incomplete if I have not used the information given in the following
websites.

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---
ipec/documents/publication/wcms_797515.pdf

https://labour.gov.in/sites/default/files/WorkingGroup12th_plan_on_Child_Labour.pdf

https://loksabhadocs.nic.in/Refinput/New_Reference_Notes/English/childlabour.pdf

https://ftp.iza.org/dp2606.pdf