The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to constitute a special cell to monitor the implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, and ensure strict compliance with its provisions.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to constitute a special cell to monitor the implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, and ensure strict compliance with its provisions.
A bench comprising Justice S.V.N. Bhatti and Justice N.V. Anjaria directed the ministry of women and child development to issue instructions to enforcement agencies through the chief secretaries of the respective states.
"With a view to preserving the rights of children/adolescents, we direct the second respondent to constitute a special cell," the bench said, calling for continued monitoring of the amended law.
The directions came on a petition filed in 2009 by NGO Health For Millions, challenging a provision of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, that permitted children to be employed in beedi rolling under certain conditions.
Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Pranav Sachdeva appeared for the petitioner.
The 2016 amendment prohibited the employment of children below 14 years in occupations and processes, subject to specified exceptions, and barred adolescents from hazardous occupations and processes.
The Centre submitted that the amendment had substantially addressed the petitioner's grievances and that the original challenge no longer required consideration.
Agreeing that the prayers in the petition did not survive, the court said the authorities remained responsible for ensuring complete and strict compliance with the amended legislation.
The bench consequently directed the government to establish a monitoring mechanism and ensure that the law was effectively implemented across states.
