Question

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986

1. Prohibits all kinds of employment of children below the age of eighteen.

2. Prohibits all kinds of employment of female children below the age of eighteen.

3. Regulates employment of children above the age of fourteen in some kinds of employment.

4. Defines a 'child' to be a person who has not completed the age of eighteen years.

• A. 2 and 4 only
• B. 1, 3 and 4 only
• C. 1 and 4 only
• D. 3 only

Answer 1

Answer:

D. 3 only

The statement that the Act "regulates employment of children above the age of fourteen in some kinds of employment" is accurate. The other statements are incorrect:

• Statement 1 is incorrect because the Act does not prohibit all employment of children below 18; rather, it focuses on children below 14.

• Statement 2 is incorrect because the Act applies to both male and female children, not just female children.

• Statement 4 is incorrect as the Act defines a child as a person below the age of 14, not 18. The age of 18 is used to define an 'adolescent' under the 2016 amendment.

It is important to note that the Act was significantly amended in 2016, with the new legislation being called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. The amendment introduced a complete prohibition on the employment of children below 14 in all occupations and processes, with some exceptions for family businesses and the entertainment industry. It also introduced a new category of "adolescents" (14-18 years old) and prohibited their employment in hazardous occupations and processes.