The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) portal in India. The primary objective of this portal is to rehabilitate child labour in the country by providing a platform for citizens to raise a complaint and report incidents of child labour through an effective tracking and monitoring mechanism. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment informed the Rajya Sabha that the PENCIL portal is being used for effective enforcement of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

Aims of the PENCIL Portal

The PENCIL portal has the following objectives:

  • Engage the Central Government, State Government, District, civil society, and the public in eradicating child labour to achieve the target of a child labour-free society.
  • Build a strong authentication mechanism for implementing and monitoring the enforcement of the legislative provisions and effective implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP).
  • Facilitate convergence and provide better coordination between the Government departments and the general public.
Features of the PENCIL Portal

The PENCIL portal has the following features:

  • Facilitates monitoring complaints and reports as per the requirements of Government departments for effective monitoring of pending reports.
  • All complaints filed by citizens get assigned automatically by the system to the respective Nodal Officer for the rescue, rehabilitation, and mainstreaming of the child labourer.
  • Successful mainstreaming into legal schools of all children who have been withdrawn from child labour and rehabilitated through the NCLPS.
Components of the PENCIL Portal

The PENCIL portal has the following components:

  • Child Tracking System: The child monitoring is done at the district manager level or through the record card maintained by the NCLP project manager. The progress of the child is recorded quarterly on the index card.
  • Complaint Corner: This feature allows anyone to file a complaint about incidents of child or youth labour.
  • State Government: The portal provides access to a government resource centre that monitors the implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 2016 and the NCLP system.
  • National Child Labour Project: NCLP publicizes reports and financial statements on the Pencil website.
  • Convergence: The rescued children aged 5-8 years have been admitted to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) school. The rescued children between 8 and 14 are admitted to the Special Training Centre of NCLP. The rescued adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 are admitted to the Saksham Skill Development Centre.
Implementation Process of the PENCIL Portal

The implementation process of the PENCIL portal is as follows:

  • All complaints filed will be received by the District Nodal Officers (DNOs) who are nominated by the Districts.
  • After receiving the complaints, the rescue measures will be taken within the time frame of 48 hours.
The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act

The Government of India enacted the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act in 1986, which was amended in 2016. The amended Act is called the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. The Act provides for the complete prohibition of work or employment of children below 14 years in any occupation and process and adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes.

The amendment also provides for stricter punishment of employers for violation of the Act and made the offence as cognizable. The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 is enforced by the State Government except in railway administration, major port, mine, oil field where Central Government is the appropriate Government.

Why In News

The PENCIL portal has been instrumental in fighting child labor in India by providing a platform for citizens to report incidents and enabling the enforcement of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment recently informed the Rajya Sabha of the PENCIL portal’s success in engaging the public and government in achieving a child labor-free society.

MCQs on Child Labour Act and NCLP Scheme

  1. What is the aim of the PENCIL portal?
    A. Engaging different stakeholders in eradicating child labor
    B. Promoting child labor in the country
    C. Supporting child labor in hazardous occupations
    D. None of the above
    Correct Answer: A. Engaging different stakeholders in eradicating child labor
    Explanation: The PENCIL portal aims to engage the central government, state government, civil society, and the public in eradicating child labor to achieve the target of a child labor-free society.
  2. Who is responsible for enforcing the Child and Adolescent Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act?
    A. Central government
    B. State government
    C. Railway administration
    D. Private organizations
    Correct Answer: B. State government
    Explanation: The Child and Adolescent Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act is enforced by the state government, except in railway administration, major ports, mines, and oil fields where the central government is responsible.
  3. What happens to children rescued under the National Child Labor Project (NCLP) scheme?
    A. They are enrolled in special training centers before being mainstreamed into formal education.
    B. They are put back into hazardous occupations.
    C. They are forced to work in other occupations.
    D. None of the above.
    Correct Answer: A. They are enrolled in special training centers before being mainstreamed into formal education.
    Explanation: Under the NCLP scheme, the children in the age group of 9-14 years are rescued/withdrawn from work and enrolled in the NCLP Special Training Centers (STCs) before being mainstreamed into the formal education system.
  4. What is the time frame for taking rescue measures after receiving a complaint on the PENCIL portal?
    A. 48 hours
    B. 1 week
    C. 1 month
    D. 6 months
    Correct Answer: A. 48 hours
    Explanation: All complaints filed on the PENCIL portal will be received by the District Nodal Officers (DNOs) who are nominated by the districts. After receiving the complaints, the rescue measures will be taken within the time frame of 48 hours.

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