Organisation : Ministry of Labour & Employment, Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour
Scheme Name : National Child Labour Project Scheme (NCLPS)
Applicable For : 9-14 years Children
Guidelines : https://www.statusin.in/uploads/37502-guidelines.pdf
Website : https://pencil.gov.in/
Pencil National Child Labour Project Scheme
National Child Labour Project Scheme (NCLPS) started in 1988 to rehabilitate child labour.
Related : Khoya-Paya Track Missing Child : www.statusin.in/21266.html
Under the Scheme, a survey is conducted to identify target group ( child worker and adolescent working in hazardous occupations and processes in a district or a specified area); then children in the age group of 9-14 years are withdrawn from work, and put into NCLP Special Training Centres where they are provided bridge education, vocational training, mid-day meal, stipend, health care and recreation etc. with the ultimate objective of preparing them to be mainstreamed into the formal system of education.
Adolescents are withdrawn from hazardous occupations / processes to have benefited from skills training wherever required and are linked to legally permissible occupations.
Institutional Structure & Fund Flow
Under the constitutional scheme of things, labour falls in the Concurrent List. Eradication of child labour is therefore the joint responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
The implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986 is entrusted to the Central Government in a few spheres such as Central Government Establishments, railway administration, major port, mines, and oil fields. In all other cases, the implementation is entrusted to the State Governments.
NCLPS is a central sector scheme where 100% of the funding is provided by the Government of India through the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Funds under the existing NCLP scheme are released by the Central Government directly to the registered NCLP District Project Society under the chairpersonship of the administrative head of the district namely District Magistrate/District Collector (DM/DC)/Deputy Commissioner of the district who is under administrative control of the State Govt.
The Apex Court Order in WP 465/1986 (also known as the M.C. Mehta case) on Child Labour rehabilitation observed that regular monitoring and survey of child labour in the State is the responsibility of the State Government(s).
In view of this, State Governments need to play an active and important role in implementation, coordination and monitoring of the implementation of NCLP Scheme in their Districts.
Role of Project Director
The Project Director is the key operations person working under the overall guidance of the District Magistrate/ District Collector, Chairperson of the district project society.
Project Director should be preferably a full time officer, who under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chairperson-cum-District Collector/DM co-ordinates implementation of the project components in the district.
He is directly responsible for community mobilization and oversight of special training centres as well as co-ordination & implementation of all the activities at district level including bridge education, vocational training, income generation, awareness raising campaigns, sensitization and training programs, monitoring and tracking etc.
Responsibilities of Project Director :
i) The Project Director will take steps to promote co-ordination and convergence with all line departments, particularly the Education, Rural Development, Health, Employment and Vocational Training, etc and supervise the functioning of all NCLP project staff.
ii) He/She will regularly interface with the Collector/District Magistrate on all Project related issues.
iii) He/She will be responsible for ensuring timely submission of progress reports to Ministry of Labour & Employment and timely release of inputs to the implementing partners.
iv) He/ She will maintain close contact with the Project beneficiaries and stake holders, take their feedback on the project implementation and take corrective measure from time to time.
v) He/She will also take steps to get regular feedback from the Project Society members and ensure regular meetings of the NCLP.
vi) He/She will maintain close rapport with the employers and workers organisations, NGOs and other civil society organisations in the district and promote active civil society partnership in the Project.
vii) Project Director will also work closely with the Labour department on enforcement related issues.
viii) He will also carry out periodic checking of the Special Training Centres to ensure that the centres are being operated in accordance with the Project guidelines and in the best interests of the beneficiaries.
ix) Any other work assigned by the Project Society.
The Project Director can be engaged on contract for a consolidated honorarium of Rs. 18000 per month.