Answer:

Investment in children is an investment in future. Thus, Government of India has taken several steps over the years to ensure a safe and secure childhood to children of India, some of which are as follows:

♤ Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 – provides for strengthened provisions for both children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law.

♤ Child Labour Amendment Act 2016 - It seeks to protect the Right to Education of children of below 14 years of age. In addition, it provides for the first time protection to adolescents of 14 – 18 years of age.

♤ Draft anti-trafficking bill - To tackle different aspects of trafficking by putting in place dedicated institutional mechanisms at District, State & Central Level.

♤ POCSO Act – To deal with sexual assault, sexual harassment against children while safeguarding the interests of the child at every stage of judicial process.

Apart from these, Government of India has taken various other measures such as Khoya-Paya portal for missing children, increasing awareness among students about sexual misconduct etc.

Due to concerted steps taken by the government, there has been notable decline in child mortality, increase in primary level enrolment, etc. At the same time, much more is required in terms of addressing issues related to health, nutrition and child participation. Besides, there are new and emerging challenges like on-line threats for children and increasing vulnerability due to climate change. It is therefore, important

that major gaps and issues related to children are first identified followed by comprehensive. Recently launched National Action Plan for Children 2016 aims to fill this gap and also provides a monitoring and evaluation framework to maximize the ongoing efforts.

Further, even though there has been a decline in the percentage of child labour, 33 million children in the age group of 0-18 years are still working in India. Country is still battling with poor rates of prosecution and conviction of child labour cases.

But government’s resolve has not faded. It recently has ratified the ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour and Convention 138 on Minimum Age of Employment. It will have various impacts towards ending the child labour-

♤ Zero tolerance towards exploitation of children - the government will take immediate, urgent and effective measures to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

♤ Fix minimum age - It requires India to ensure that no one under the fixed age is admitted for work in any occupation except in cases of light work and artistic performance

♤ Prohibiting worst forms of child labour – It will require India to prohibit the worst forms of child labour including slavery, debt bondage, serfdom, forced or compulsory labour etc.

Ending child labour has various other positive outcomes such as reduced dropping out rates, reduced stress on children of economic roles and safe childhood etc. But ultimately the success on eliminating exploitation against children depends on the level of social empathy, political will and the implementation of resources invested in the development and protection of children. It can be solved only if the reasons driving exploitation of child, such as poverty unemployment, lack of social security net, inadequate enforcement of law, are resolved.