Nagaland Govt soon to enact Rules on Child Labour & Marriage Acts

December 14, 2023 31 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 14

The Nagaland Government will soon be enacting rules for implementing two crucial child protection laws: the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (as amended in 2016) and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, revealed Alun Hansing, Chairman of Nagaland State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NSCPCR).

He did not specify when the government will be moving ahead with the proposal but mentioned that it would be taken “up soon.”

Proposals for implementing the acts have been made by the Department of Labour and the Social Welfare Department, the official mentioned, talking to media on the sidelines of the second annual convention programme of Child Friendly Dimapur at AIDA, Don Bosco Campus, Dimapur on December 13.

Hansing emphasised that the new Child Labour Act rules will specifically address the issue of domestic abuse against child domestic workers.

Majority of these children come from families facing financial hardship, making them vulnerable to exploitation by employers who take advantage of this vulnerability, he added.

Meanwhile during his address, Hangsing said the Nagaland Government is fully committed towards protection of child rights and highlighted various measures already implemented by to achieve this goal.

He further said that the NSCPCR was looking forward to reach out all the districts to monitor matters relating to child rights while underscoring that the key aspect is coordination and coordinating with the other departments.

The desire of the government is to provide safe, secure environment for children. As an autonomous body we are mandated to look into all the policies of the government, he maintained.

The NSCPCR Chairman also expressed concern about the rise of child trafficking and child pornography due to the increased prevalence of mobile phones and internet access among children.

Accordingly, he urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s internet and phone usage to protect them from these dangers.

The event was marked by several performances from the children including songs, mime, poem recitation and dance.

Around 300 Child Rights Club members, Child Rights Facilitators, different departments, Civil Society Organisations, youth and community leaders from different localities attended the Annual convention.

According to data from the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, as per the 2011 census there were 11,062 working children under the age group of 5-14 years in Nagaland.

Meanwhile among the North-East states, Nagaland and Meghalaya were the only two states where PCMA has not been implemented.