Labour laws dilution to 'spike' child labour, trafficking: Kailash Satyarthi foundation

By A Representative

The dilution of labour laws by some states in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown must be reviewed and rescinded immediately, since doing away with crucial safeguards is likely to lead to a spike in the incidence of child labour and child trafficking while deepening exploitation and abuse of workers, a Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation (KSCF) report based on a study conducted in some of India's rural areas has recommended.
The KSCF study, titled 'A Study on Impact of Lockdown and Economic Disruption on Low-Income Households with Special Reference to Children', is based on responses of over 50 NGOs and 250 households from the trafficking prone states.
Pointing out that 89 percent of non-governmental organisations surveyed had voiced the concern that "there is a very high likelihood of increase in trafficking of both adults and children in the post-lockdown period for the purpose of labour" and "76 percent of the NGOs...anticipate 'human trafficking for the purpose of sexual abuse' and 'child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation' to see an upsurge post- the lockdown", the report recommends greater surveillance at village level and alertness on the part of law enforcement agencies. Surveyed NGOs also expressed the view that child marriages post the lockdown are also likely to go up.
During the household survey conducted as a part of the study, it was found that "21 percent of the households are potentially ready to send their children into child labour due to their increased economic vulnerability".

Recommending that systems be created for micro-level surveillance in and around villages on a "continuous basis", so as to prevent children of families impoverished by the lockdown from working as child labour, the report says that "panchayats, other village level officials as well as Block officials should play a major role in ensuring that children do not work and are retained in schools".
Pointing out that once business operations and manufacturing resume, the officials concerned must carry out surprise inspections of such establishments to ensure that no child labour or trafficked children are found employed there, KSCF insists, payment of "all compensation amounts due to child labourers, bonded labourers and victims of trafficking" by the state governments. The logic for immediate payment is that "financial relief to the families to which the rescued children belong shall prevent re-trafficking of all such children".

Since the lockdown has triggered a financial crisis, heightened economic insecurity, poverty and marginalisation, driving families to desperation and making them susceptible to pushing their children to trafficking, the report seeks "increased role for panchayati raj institutions (PRIs)" in which panchayats will be "mandated to maintain a migration register to monitor movements of children in and out of villages".
The report recommends that the migration register should be regularly checked and verified by the block officials. It says:

"A wide safety net (must) be spread in source areas of trafficking to protect children from being trafficked. Schools, communities, and the local administration must work together to control trafficking and bonded labour in villages. Intensive campaigns should be launched to educate communities about the threat and modus operandi of trafficking agents, especially in the source areas such as Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam."

Seeking enhanced capacity of law enforcement agencies through regular training, the report says that, trafficking of children from rural areas through the Railways should be prevented with the help of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and the Government Railway Police (GRP).

21 percent of the households are potentially ready to send their children into child labour due to their increased economic vulnerability

Activation and proper functioning of the Village level Child Protection Committees (VCPC) must be ensured in each village to stop marriages of underage children and make the community aware about its ill impacts, the report says, adding that a Helpline to enable citizens to report child marriages should be established.

Meanwhile, KSFC has announced it will launching Justice for Every Child National Campaign on July 30, marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness against combating trafficking through education and demanding quality education through the 100 million campaign in India.

It is a call to action to protect the marginalised children from the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic and this campaign will be a three months phase-wise initiative calling upon all the youth-led organisations and student bodies to support in solidarity and will write letters to their local decision makers and government representatives.

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Search This Blog