National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme
Background and Context
Child labour has been one of India’s long-standing socio-economic challenges. Children, instead of going to school, are often found working in factories, fields, or hazardous occupations due to poverty and lack of awareness.
👉 To tackle this, the government started the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) as a Central Sector Scheme in 1988 by Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
- Its purpose: Rescue, rehabilitate, and mainstream child labourers into education and society.
A major reform came in 2021, when NCLP was merged with Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)—because education is the real tool to end child labour.
Type and Implementation
- Type: Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Union Government).
- Implementation Agency: District Project Societies (DPS) under the District Collector / District Magistrate.
This decentralised model ensures that local administration directly identifies and rehabilitates child labourers.
Objectives
The scheme works with a three-fold vision:
- Elimination of child labour in all forms.
- Rehabilitation of rescued children by enrolling them into education and skill systems.
- Awareness and Monitoring through a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.
Salient Features
(a) Rehabilitation and Support
- Rescued children are enrolled in NCLP Special Training Centres (STCs).
- They receive:
- Stipend for a minimum of 3 months (via Direct Benefit Transfer).
- Vocational training, bridge education, healthcare, and nutrition.
(b) District Project Societies (DPS)
- Headed by District Collector / Magistrate.
- Conduct surveys to identify child labourers, especially in hazardous occupations.
- Oversee implementation of rehabilitation programs.
(c) PENCiL Portal
- Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCiL) is an online portal.
- Ensures better monitoring, tracking, and coordination of rescue and rehabilitation activities.
Legal and International Commitments
(a) International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions
- ILO Convention 182: Prohibits Worst Forms of Child Labour.
- ILO Convention 138: Minimum Age for Employment.
👉 India has ratified both these conventions, strengthening its international commitment.
(b) Domestic Law
- Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016:
- Children (below 14 years) → Prohibited in all occupations and processes.
- Adolescents (14–18 years) → Prohibited in hazardous occupations.
This law provides the legal backbone for NCLP.
Critical Understanding
- The scheme is not just about rescuing children but about creating a complete ecosystem: identification → rehabilitation → education → monitoring.
- By merging with Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the government recognised that the best way to prevent child labour is to provide universal, quality education.
- The PENCiL portal makes the scheme digitally transparent and accountable.
👉 In simple words, the NCLP Scheme is like a rescue-to-school bridge:
“We will rescue child labourers, give them financial and educational support, and ensure they are mainstreamed into schools—because education, not exploitation, should shape their future.”