page no. 1 - from the ceo’s desk social bulletin... · page no. 2-4 - lockdown, labour and...

Volume No. 1 : Issue No. 6

Volume No. 1 : Issue No. 4

Torchbearers of Non-Violence 2

A small token of respect to some of our unsung heroes 3

Winter Festivals and Food 4

Some super addictive fun snack desi-winter treat recipes to munch on!! 5

Page No. 2 - Interview

Page No. 1 - From the CEO’s desk

Page No. 3 - “Thappad” Movie Review

Page No. 5-6 - Gender Gap Index Ranking 2020

Page No. 4 - ^^L=h** A Poem





Some super addictive fun snack desi-winter treat recipes to munch on!! 5

Page No. 2-4 - Lockdown, labour and economy


Page No. 5-6 - Interview with S. Raghvan on current scenario of labourers

Page No. 8-11 - Labour rights: Back to the Basics?

Page No. 12 - Will Covid -19 exacerbate child labour situation in India?

Page No.7 - gkFk dh js[kk

Page No. 12 - Will Covid -19 exacerbate child labour situation in India?

current scenario of labourers Page No. 5-6 - Interview with S. Raghavan on


Page No. 2-4 - Lockdown : Migrant Labourers and

Page No. 8-11 - Labour rights: Back to the Basics?

Page No.7 - gkFk dh js[kk

Economy

The ongoing pandemic has not only wreaked havoc on public health but due

to nationwide lockdowns being implemented as a preventive measure, it

has also affected the economic growth and labour market. Thousands of

urban workers are being laid off. Plight of migrant workers trying to reach

back to the social safety net of their homes is heart-wrenching. While there

are numerous measure being taken for the welfare of workers by both

public and private players, the near future still seems to be dismal for the

labourers of the country.

In this sixth edition of our newsletter 'The Social Bulletin', we talk about various issues concerning the workers

at the moment that need immediate attention. The first section highlights the agony of migrant workers and

tries to give a comprehensive picture of the multiple problems they are facing currently and the steps being

taken to address them. Following that, we share an insightful conversation we had in this context with Mr. S.

Raghavan, President of Lok Raj Sangathan. His opinions are bound to be food for thought for many of our

readers. Thereafter we delve into a beautiful piece of poetry penned down by Mr. Rahul Kumar Gupta that

strung a chord in our hearts. The fourth section of this edition is an opinion piece on the various labour law

reforms underway followed by concerns over the possibility of increase in incidence of child labour as one of

the tragic by-product of the current crisis.

We look forward to hear your opinion(s) on the same.

Happy Reading!

Radiation

2

Message from CEO

3

Migrants Plight

India has been under complete lockdown from 25th

of March 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19,

making it the most extensive lockdown in the India's

history. The poor working-class/daily wage earners

faced the monstrous brunt as the lockdown has

severely impacted their livelihood opportunities &

forced lakhs of daily wagers/casual labourers out of

job. With economic activities coming to a halt, the

unorganised sector, which contributes to 90% of the 1total employment (NCEUS) , is badly hit.

As depicted in the image above, big cities have

attracted migrants from rural locations resulting in a

massive migrations. Millions of workers survive and

thrive on doing menial jobs in these megacities. Since

large chunks of workers are engaged in the megacities

construction activities, the sudden halting of all the

construction activities across the country made

hundreds and thousands of labourers/daily wager's

jobless. With rents to pay and limited savings, the city's survival has become unbearable for these migrant workers.

Even though the central government in its affidavit of April 12, 2020, filed in the Supreme Court affirmed there are

some 40,000 relief camps in operation across states, where around 1.4 million migrant workers are housed and fed. 2

Multiple reports have resurfaced in the media, which entails a very sorry state of affairs in providing relief to the poor

and marginalised workers.

Despite the government's efforts and claims, hundreds and thousands of migrant workers are yet to receive the

benefits. Insecure future and continuous lockdown extensions compel them to head back to their respective native

places, thus resulting in reverse migration, which is a very rare phenomenon and the country is witnessing it for the

first time. A large number of workers took highways/railroads and started walking hundreds of kilometres to their

homes. With soaring temperatures and lack of essential supplies, they embarked on the harshest and the toughest

journeys of their life. The lockdown has compelled them to venture out in these extreme weather conditions. Many of 3

them told the media personnel that at least they would have something on their plates back home (NDTV) .

Lockdown : Migrant Labourers and Economy

Source: Census 2011; Geetika Varshney, India, Migration Now

1. National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector.2. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-workers-face-heat-hunger-as-lockdown-is-extended/article31341743.ece3. NDTV's programme “Des ki Baat “(Extensively reporting on Migrant Crisis)

4If they stay back, they will be starved to death. Multiple deaths have been reported in various accidents / road

mishaps of these returnees across different states. Another challenge these workers faced was the sealing of state

borders, prohibiting entry and exit into the sates, which led to thousands of workers stranded at the borders. After

much deliberation, some 40 days into the lockdown, the central government declared that the stranded people could

go home and buses are arranged to ferry them across states. Recently, Shramik special trains have been allocated to

take the stranded people back to their home states. But again, the complicated process in getting themselves

registered and umpteen follow-ups exacerbates their plight. There have been reports regarding communication gap

between the state and the centre making their journey cumbersome. More clarity is needed regarding the

reservations in the Shramik special trains.

Job Crisis Looming Large

The other challenge that the country's workforce is currently staring at is that approximately 1.6 billion workers in the

informal economy, nearly half of the global workforce, is in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed

because of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a

report on April 29, 2020. The Indian workforce in both formal and informal sector is very much susceptible to losing jobs as the nation-wide

lockdown has decelerated all the economy. As per the CRISIL, the manufacturing and construction industry are most

vulnerable to job cuts, followed by the hospitality and restaurant industry, as the lockdown has disrupted all 5

economic activities

Similarly, Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE) has estimated India's unemployment rate at 29.4 percent

in rural areas and 25 percent in urban areas for the week ended April 26 as lack of movement of manpower and goods

froze the economy. But the majority of layoffs will occur in the informal sector, which employs 90 percent of the 46.5

crores active working population. The data provided by CRISIL suggests sector-wise vulnerability.

4 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-lockdown-maharashtra-aurangabad-migrant-workers-killed-train-6399556/

5 https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/india-unemployment-rate-how-vulnerable-is-indias-workforce-to-lockdown-crisil-estimates

4

73.2 25.5 1.2

26.2 48.2 25.6

7.6 43 49.5

41.516.342.2

6.1 78.115.8

10.8 83.7

43.1 5.5 51.4

5.5

25.5

43.2

32

12.344.4

58.1 9.8

75.2

3.970.6

3.721.1

Vulnerability

20.53

11.53

0.19

5.64

0.27

5.43

14.44

4.69

2.29

0.87

6.59

Workforcesize (crore)

Agriculture

Industry

Mining and quarrying

Manufacturing

Electricity and water supply

Construction

Services

Trade

Transport

Accomodation and food services

Other services

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

All self-employed Casual Labour Regular wage/salary

Bloomberg QuintSource: CRISIL

How vulnerable is India’s workforce?

Low

High

Medium

High

Low

High

Medium

Medium

High

Medium

High


3. NDTV’s programme “Des ki Baat” (Extensively reporting on Migrant Crisis)4. https://indian express.com/article/india/india-lockdown-maharashtra-aurangabad-migrant-workers-killed-train-6399556/5. https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/india-unemployment-rate-how-vulnerable-is-indias-workforce-to-lockdown-crisil-estimates

73.2 25.5 1.2

26.2 48.2 25.6

7.6 43 49.5

41.516.342.2

6.1 78.115.8

10.8 83.7

43.1 5.5 51.4

5.5

25.5

43.2

32

12.344.4

58.1 9.8

75.2

3.970.6

3.721.1

Vulnerability

20.53

11.53

0.19

5.64

0.27

5.43

14.44

4.69

2.29

0.87

6.59

Workforcesize (crore)

Agriculture

Industry

Mining and quarrying

Manufacturing

Electricity and water supply

Construction

Services

Trade

Transport

Accomodation and food services

Other services

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

All self-employed Casual Labour Regular wage/salary

Bloomberg QuintSource: CRISIL


Low

High

Medium

High

Low

High

Medium

Medium

High

Medium

High

5

Per the CRISIL estimates, people engaged in construction and production activities are more susceptible to losing

their jobs. Since there is going to be a liquidity crunch in the market due to the lockdown, the demand for goods and

services will also be low. So, to sustain themselves, production units will cut down its expenses by laying off its

employees and workers. In this situation, the production and manufacturing industry will suffer the most, since all the

construction activities have come to a standstill. Similarly, agriculture which provides livelihood to 20.53 crore people

(highest), will be the most stable sector as the last cropping season was quite good in terms of productivity. Though

the prices of the crop have fallen to 30 from 70 percent during this lockdown, in the long run, it is expected that things

will pick up in the agriculture sector, and it will be able to retain its equilibrium.

It will be an uphill task for the government to deal with and bring down the unemployment figures. The next few

months will entail the clear picture of the state of affairs and in which direction the country is moving. For the first

time in decades, India's economy will contract in FY21, and revive in the latter half of FY22 as reported by RBI.

- Altamash Fatah

6. https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/reverse-migrantion-to-villages-has-set-economy-back-by-15-years-says-jnu-professor/article31671389.ece

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Per day wage of unskilled workers(₹)

Minimum Wage across states National Minimum Wage (₹375) National Floor Wage (₹178)

Minimum Wage across states National Minimum Wage (₹375)

National Floor Wage (₹178)

6

TSB What is the status of implementation of labour laws in India? How it is different across organised and

unorganised sector given unorganised sector comprises the majority?SR The implementation of labour laws in India is very poor. Where workers are unionised they are able to

understand and demand the full implementation of labour laws. Where they are not unionised, the owners of

establishments flout labour laws at will. Since they have better resources at their command they are able to

threaten workers into submission or influence labour law officers to ignore demands of workers or even to

harass them.

TSB What is the constitutional framework of bringing about changes in labour laws?

SR Since it is a concurrent subject both central and state governments can pass labour laws. However, the

minimum base set by the central law cannot be violated. Though the Constitution allows amendment of

existing laws or enactment of new laws, since workers cannot initiate legislation, they are dependent on the

ruling or opposition party to bring about changes in their favour.

Amidst all kinds of information (some true some untrue) and opinions doing rounds around the clock, we needed to

talk to someone who really knows the plight of workers. Someone who hasn’t suddenly become interested and

expert on them just because their issue is being highlighted by media today but someone who has been championing

their cause for years and hence can probably give us all a broader perspective and feasible potential solutions for the

same. It was to our extreme pleasure that S. Raghavan, President of Lok Raj Sangathan, agreed to speak to us and

share his views on the current scenario of labourers and possible future avenues for them. His organization, Lok Raj

Sangathan (LRS), was established in May 1998 with an aim to develop a modern democratic political process where

people are the rulers and parties work to keep the people in power. They act as an instrument to empower people

politically and to defend and affirm their rights. In this regard, LRS has established local sangharsh samitis in various

parts of the country, on a non-partisan basis. Below are the snippets from our conversation with him.

Interview with S. Raghavan on current scenario of labourers

TSB Who is a labour under Labour Law?SR Indian Labour Laws distinguish between “organised” and “unorganised”

labour even though all workers have the right to minimum wages, regular

work, safe workplace and other benefits such as pension, gratuity, etc.

Only a small fraction of the workers are recognised as “organised” due to

their employer or establishment being recognised under some central or

state laws. Contract workers are covered by the Contract Labour Act. The

Unorganised Workers Social Security Act covers the “unorganised” sector

workers.

TSB Could you give us an overview of the Labour law Reforms over the time?SR Since 1947, several colonial laws were amended and new labour laws

were amended and new labour laws were enacted due to the struggle of

workers in many sectors and increasing unionisation among them. Labour

being a concurrent subject, there are both central and state laws. There

are about 45 national laws and 200 state laws.

S. Raghavan

7

TSB How the Labour reforms were brought back then? How has the entire culture of bringing about these

changes (via advisory/labour unions/ media) changed over time?SR The Indian Labour Conference (ILC) is the apex level tripartite consultative committee to advise the

Government on the issues concerning working class of the country. All the 12 Central Trade Union

Organisations, Central Organisations of employers, all State Governments and Union Territories and Central

Ministries/Departments concerned are the members of the ILC. However, the ILC has been ineffective. Over a

period of time labour reforms have all served only the owners and not the workers.

TSB What do you think is the optimal way of ensuring organisation effectiveness in the current scenario?SR Workers have been the most affected and discriminated in the current Covid epidemic. More than a crore

migrant workers are returning to their homes because they have lost jobs and are unable to pay rent and food

expenses. Those states and enterprises which benefited from their labour have left them to fend for

themselves in the most callous manner. Economic recovery entirely depends on whether these workers will get

back their jobs and will be paid salaries.

TSB What are your thoughts on the labour law reforms government has announced in the past two months?SR The recent proposed labour law reforms will be adding further to the harassment and discrimination that

workers are facing in the pandemic situation. The proposal to increase working hours, the free hand given to

employers to reduce the workforce or impose a cut on wages, massive privatisation and job cuts have all further

worsened the plight of workers.

TSB What is your point of view or recommendation on how India can do better?SR If the producers in our country, the workers and farmers, are deprived of their livelihoods then the economic

crisis will be further aggravated. If efforts are made to increase production of goods without job security and

wage guarantee for workers, then there will be no buyers for these products. There will be a glut in the market.

The government has to take immediate direct measures to ensure the well-being of workers and farmers.

TSB Next six months how are you looking at the employment situation in the country for all classes of workers-

urban, semi urban, migrants?

SR The economic package announced by the government will not directly benefit the workers and farmers

because they are centred on giving more loans to business houses and monopoly enterprises and loan and

interest waivers. This will not directly benefit the workers. In the next six months, if government does not take

direct measures to create employment and make essential goods and services available to workers and

farmers, then millions of people will be losing livelihood.

TSB What is the future trajectory for all the workers for the next six months?

SR Workers are realising that only if they unite their voices will be heard. Already several central and state level

unions have announced demonstrations and rallies. For eg., on May 22, 10 central unions organised

demonstrations against labour law reforms, plans for privatisation of several sectors, and corporatisation of

agriculture. They demanded immediate relief measures and social security for all.

Poem

8

^^gkFk dh js[kk**

esjs vkSj mlds gkFk esa ,d gh rjg dh js[kk gS

dke dh ryk’k vkSj fnu esa rM+irs

mls jkr dks Hkh d’ed’k HkVdrs ns[kk gS

bart+ke jksVh dk tks u gqvk vkt fQj

xhyk diM+k isV esa cka/k Hkw[k cq>krs ns[kk gS

dqN QdZ rks ut+j cgqr ugha vkrk gesa


rdyhQ mls eq>ls dgha T;knk gS le>

eSaus [kqn dks eafnjksa esa fQtwy gkFk mBkrs ns[kk gS

esjs ?kj [kkkus ds fuokys tehu is fc[kjs feyrs gSa

mls rks pkSFkkbZ fgLls ds fy, jksrs fcy[krs ns[kk gS

mlds vkSj esjs fdLer esa D;k vyx fy[kk gS [kqnk

,slk dSls gS fd eSaus mls vius liuksa esa ejrs ns[kk gS

dqN QdZ rks utj cgqr ugha vkrk gesa


jkgqy xqIrk

jkgqy xqIrk

These are strange times. On one hand the outbreak of the corona pandemic has exposed flaws in the existing system,

on the other hand it is the reason being cited for taking down systems in-place. While on one hand the plight of

workers has become a national issue with numerous relief initiatives being undertaken by both private and public

players, on the other hand the very same workers are being made more vulnerable by suspending legal rights that

they are entitled to. Rights that were a product of over a 100 years of struggle.

As an economic measure to boost production and investments post the current nation-wide lockdown, several states

have passed an ordinance or released press statements suspending various labor laws. States like Uttar Pradesh,

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat have increased the working hours from 8 hours

per day to 12 hours per day. Madhya Pradesh has exempted new manufacturing units from several provisions of

Factories Act for 1000 days; and firms employing less than 50 workers and small and medium enterprises from any

sort of inspections unless there is an official complaint against them. Uttar Pradesh has suspended most of the labor

laws, including The Minimum Wages Act, for the next three years.

All these steps have grave implications on the future working conditions and culture for the workers. Suspension of

The Industrial Disputes Act mean that employers can hire and fire workers at their will leaving workers with no job

security or means for redressal. The Factories Act details safety provisions for workers like mandatory drinking water

facilities, electricity etc. Relaxation/ complete exemption from this Act puts laborers in an extremely precarious

situation, possibly leading to horrid working conditions for many. Already the implementation of existing laws has

been under the radar, but to top that with official announcement of no inspections from the government encourages

even greater defaults by the firms under question in ensuring basic rights of the workers aren't compromised. The

Equal Remuneration Act ended the discrimination between men and women in terms of wages. Without the Act,

women could be paid less than men, increasing the already widened gender disparity in pay and probably

discouraging women to join the labor force.

Another unconstitutional step with far-reaching consequences is the suspension of The Minimum Wages Act. In 1Sanjit Roy vs. State of Rajasthan , it was held that when a person provides labour or service to another for

remuneration less than the prescribed minimum wages, the labour so provided falls within the ambit of word 'forced

labour' under Article 23 of the Constitution. This is what it has come down to! Discarding years of struggle to put in

place equitable labor rights, a precedence of regressive labour environment as the immediate remedy to any crisis is

being set up.

Days after these announcements by various states, Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted a couple of

labour codes that the government aims to implement as part of the second economic stimulus package. This

included universalization of right of minimum wages and statuary concept of National Floor Wage in order to reduce

regional disparities in minimum wages. While there were no comments made on the continuation of the

aforementioned states' ordinance or on the implementation of the labor codes, the very concepts of National Floor

Wage and National Minimum wage under the Code on Wages (2019) is highly flawed.

Labour rights: Back to the Basics?

1. 1983 AIR 328, 1983 SCR (2) 271

9

1. 1983 AIR 328, 1983 SCR (2) 271

Source: Minimum Wages Notifications of each state (2019)

Under the Code on Wages (2019), state governments are directed to set their minimum wages only above the

national floor wage, essentially diluting the idea of minimum wage. The same is evident from the figure above. The

current minimum wages in all the states are higher than the floor wage of Rs.178 mentioned but lower than the

minimum wage of Rs.375 as recommended by the expert committee. Since states set their own minimum wages for

different jobs, huge disparities across different states can also be observed. There were several different numbers

reported for minimum wages set by states for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled labourers. These vary across zones

and job categories as specified in various minimum wages notifications of different states. The same has been

illustrated in the table below.

10

2Minimum wage rates are determined by factors such as poverty threshold, prevailing wage rates as determined by

the Labor Force Survey, and socio-economic indicators (i.e. inflation, employment figures, Gross Regional Domestic

Product, among others), which insures better workers protection. However, the Code on Wages, 2019 makes a

distinction between national minimum wage (calculated on the basis of an objective formula) and national floor 3wage (without providing a methodology to calculate it) . In January this year, a committee of experts appointed by

the Labour Ministry recommended national minimum wage at Rs.375 per day. This number was arrived at on the

basis of food and non-food expenditure from the consumer price index, adjusted for 2018 prices. The

recommendations assumed a 2400 calorie diet, while a 1992 Supreme Court judgment and the Indian Labour 4Conference of 1957 recommended setting the national minimum wage on the basis of a 2700 calorie diet . The same

committee recommended a national floor wage of mere Rs.178.

Minimum Wage across states National Minimum Wage (₹375) National Floor Wage (₹178)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

An

dam

an a

nd

Nic

obar

…

Aru

nach

al P

rad

esh

Ass

am

Bih

ar

Chh

atis

garh

Dad

ra a

nd N

agar

Hav

eli

Dam

an a

nd D

iu

Del

hi

Goa

Guj

arat

Har

yana

Him

ach

al P

rade

sh

Jam

mu

and

Kas

hmir

Jhak

rkha

nd

Karn

atak

a

Mad

hya

Pra

desh

Mah

aras

htra

Meg

hala

ya

Miz

ora

m

Nag

alan

d

Odi

sha

Punj

ab

Raj

asth

an

Sikk

im

Tiru

pura

Utt

ar P

rad

esh

Utt

arak

hand

Wes

t B

enga

l

Per day wage of unskilled workers(₹)

2. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/how-is-minimum-wage-determined/3. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/labour-rights-are-in-free-fall/article31609871.ece4. https://scroll.in/article/934142/in-charts-what-is-a-decent-minimum-wage-in-india-and-how-a-new-law-could-change-it

Per Day Wage ( )

State/Union Territory Unskilled Semi-skilled Skilled

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Arunachal Pradesh

Assam

Bihar

Chhatisgarh

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Daman and Diu

Delhi

Goa

Gujarat

Haryana

Himachal Pradesh

Jammu and Kashmir

Jhakrkhand

Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Meghalaya

Mizoram

Nagaland

Odisha

Punjab

Rajasthan

Sikkim

Tirupura

Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

West Bengal

473

200-220

272

287

341-361

310

310

556

359-362

324-332

347

224-250

225

275

435-495

318

387-435

324

270

176

298

338

213

300

505

332

289-293

281-321

530

210-230

317

299

366-386

318

318

612

415-420

332-340

364-383

239-265-

288

473-540

351

421-467

368

300

210

338

368

223

320

554

365

308-313

309-35

615

220-240

397

364

396-416

326

326

673

469-475

340-349

402-422

268-294

350

379

516-589

404

452-500

411

370-460

235

388

402

233

335

620

409

328-333

340-389

11

SkilledUnskilledState/Union Territory

473

225

220-240

379

200-220

275

272

435-495

287

318

396-416

452-500

341-361

387-435

310

324

310

270

556

176

505

359-362

298

332

324-332

338

289-293

347

213

281-321

224-250

300

Semi-skilled

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Jammu and Kashmir

Arunachal Pradesh

Jhakrkhand

Assam

Karnataka

Bihar

Madhya Pradesh

Chhatisgarh

Maharashtra

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Meghalaya

Delhi

Nagaland

Tirupura

Goa

Odisha

Uttar Pradesh

Gujarat

Punjab

Uttarakhand

Haryana

Rajasthan

West Bengal

Himachal Pradesh

Sikkim

Daman and Diu

Mizoram

530

-

210-230

288

317

473-540

299

351

366-386

421-467

318

368

318

300

612

210

554

415-420

338

365

332-340

368

308-313

364-383

223

309-353

239-265

320

615

350

397

516-589

364

404

326

411

326

370-460

673

235

620

469-475

388

409

340-349

402

328-333

402-422

233

340-389

268-294

335

Per Day Wage ( )

Source: Minimum wages notification of different states (2019)

Thus, there is an urgent need to fix the loopholes in the existing labor laws and formulation of much more effective

labour codes by the government aimed at increasing welfare of all classes of workers and reducing state disparity.

But instead we are being compelled to point out the need for the basic labour rights yet again. Had this been a

different time, such a disregard of the labour rights would have lead to massive protests and labour strikes, but with

the lockdown rules in place, this isn't a feasible option, giving the concerned governments an easy pass. Treating

workers as forced labours under the pretext of much needed kick to the economy is simply unacceptable. Such

retrograde moves need to be challenged and questioned since once a precedence of violation of rights at someone's

whims and fancy is set, it makes the rights of all the sects in the country equally vulnerable.

12

- Rashi Goel

No. of working children in India (5-14 years)

10753985

13640870

1128534912666377

4353247

1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

No. of working children

No. of working children in India (5-14 years)

10753985

13640870

1128534912666377

4353247

1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

No. of working children

107.54

136.41

112.85

126.66

43.53

1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

No. of working children (in lakh) in India 5-14 years

13

Will Covid -19 exacerbate child labour situation in India?

Incidence of child labour (5-14 years) as reported in

Census 2011 witnessed significant reduction as

compared to 2001. Reduction in the incidence of child

labour is indeed a good news, but seeing more than

four million children working in India is quite

disheartening. Child labour is a human rights issue.

When a child is employed, she/he is less likely to attend

school or attend only intermittingly, trapping them in

the cycle of poverty.

The nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19

practising social distancing norms and practising work from home options hoping for better tomorrow, there is a

possibility that some children may become victims of child labour owing to the preventive measures of lockdown.

The experts working for the cause of child labour elimination believe that one impact of the virus-induced restriction

would increase the incidence of child labour.

“Migrant labour of Bihar and Jharkhand after their return from different cities due to the pandemic iterated that they

would not return back and instead send their children as the virus attacks are prone to aged people. With the schools

closed owing to the lockdown the vulnerability of millions to child labour is another issue that merits serious

attention”, said Prabhat Kumar, National Thematic Manager- Child Protection with Save the Children.

Kumar further stressed that the reason for the vulnerability of rise in child labour is due to the financial setbacks

and inadequate government support owing to which the migrant labours have no option rather than children for their

survival.

“The pandemic has seen a rapid unemployment and subsequent economic shock in number of jobs. Hence to

overcome these situations and to meet the financial crunch by the companies they may get into involving child as

labour (dying and knitting etc.) they may try to compensate this by employing the children as labourers”, added

Kumar

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted the resolution declaring 2021 as the International

Year for Child Labor Elimination. This is an initiative to encourage nations to work towards the SDG Target 8.7. In target

8.7, leaders committed to “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery

and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including

recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms”. Considering the current risk of

more children pushed into forced employment, we need to protect our children, now more than ever.

has made the life of millions changed. While some of us are

- Upasana Negi

Source: Census Data - Govt. of India

107.54

136.41

112.85

126.66

43.53

1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

No. of working children (in lakh) in India 5-14 years

This newsletter is intended to reinforce

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and enhance interaction among

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Ms. Sai Sudha - Chief EditorMs. Upasana Negi - EditorMs. Pinky Gupta - Designer

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Hi Team

This edition (Volume No. 1 : Issue No. 5)

was quite interesting to read. Some of

the articles were really insightful.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards

Charvi Kathuria

SheThePeople.TV

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This newsletter is intended to reinforce

and encourage increased awareness

and enhance interaction among

all of us. If you wish to be a contributor

of content in The Social Bulletin,

you may wr i te back to us at

[email protected]. The theme of

upcoming month June is “TBD”.

Ms. Sai Sudha - Chief EditorMs. Upasana Negi - EditorMs. Pinky Gupta - Designer

Ms. Rashi GoelMr. Subhash Kumar SinhaMr. Altamash Fatah

Annoucement Corner

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Dear Readers,

We highly value your feedback because

it helps us continuously improve our

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Upasana Negi

Editor

Social Bulletin

DevCommunion

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Evaluation of South Odisha Initiative

TBD

Charvi Kathuria

SheThePeople.TV

A Picture from Swallows country programme for the period 2014-16

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