Work overtime to end child labour, court tells Delhi

August 22nd, 2009 MUMBAI - A local court here on Saturday granted bail to Mumbai-based TV actress Urvashi Dhanorkar, who has been booked under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Child Labour Act, for allegedly physically abusing her 10-year-old housemaid Rameshwari. She was produced before the Bandra Holiday Court.

August 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A raid on illegal brocade and cosmetic units led to the rescue of 96 child labourers here. Central officials of the department of child labour and child rights activists raided zari (brocade) and 'bindi' (cosmetic stickers) units in six locations in New Delhi.

July 16th, 2009 AGRA / FIROZABAD - Around 30 child labourers were rescued by police and officials of state Child Labour Department from Agra and Firozabad cities in Uttar Pradesh. According to Assistant Labour Commissioner, B K Rai, the raids were conducted at dozens of hotels, dhabas and several other hazardous work places under a month-long drive, which began on July 1.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bubbling with excitement, six children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds met the youngest minister of the government, Agatha Sangma, at her office Tuesday to discuss various ways to eliminate child labour. Putting forth the children's views with confidence, Yogesh told the minister of state for rural development: Free and compulsory education is the most important demand that we children have.

June 28th, 2009 FIROZABAD - The Sadar Bazar of Firozabad is not only famous for the clinking colourful bangles, but also for the infamous 'Child Labour Market' where one can hire the children a-la the Roman slave market of yore. Defying anti-child labour laws, the bangle industry continues to exploit the rights of hundreds of children here.

June 12th, 2009 MUMBAI - Maharashtra Government has decided to sue television producers for hiring child actors in their serials. The state's Labour Ministry has decided to file cases against eight such producers who have child actors working in their serials, and also against four entertainment channels for airing these serials.

May 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An NGO here will head a child rights legal aid cell and work closely with various government departments to uphold the rights of children and punish violators of these rights. The All India Legal Aid Cell will be run by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Delhi Legal Services Authority.

May 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Friday asked the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of all states to ensure that children below the age of 14 are not employed in any election-related work. 'The Commission has taken strong exception to use of children in work connected with elections.

April 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the elections just around the corner, civil society organisations working for child rights are urging people to vote keeping in mind that those who come to power stand firm on their commitments to work for children's welfare. Amendment of the Child Labour Prohibition and Protection Act is one of the key issues that NGOs are fighting for.

March 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A six-year-old child, who is languishing in the Tihar Jail for the last two years with his undertrial father, will now be able to attend school following a court order Tuesday. A city court directed the jail authorities to get the child admitted to a school, out of the Tihar prison, with the direction that the father be allowed to meet the child once every month.

February 16th, 2009 RANCHI - Authorities in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand Tuesday rescued around 90 child workers from hotels, eateries, business houses and other places of the district, an official said. 'We have rescued around 90 children from hotels and different places in the district with help of an NGO.

February 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Next time you go shopping and are looking up fancy bags and shoes, remember these may be products of labour of hapless children - like the 35 rescued Tuesday from the capital's leather factories. Aged between seven to fourteen, these children were trafficked from their homes mostly in the Saharsa and Darbhanga districts of Bihar.

January 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An 11-year-old girl, who was working as a domestic help with a Delhi family, was rescued and sent to a protection and care house in the capital Wednesday, an official said. Officials of the Labour Department, Delhi Police and members of All India Democratic Women's Association rescued the girl child from the family in Paschim Vihar in west Delhi.

January 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The next time an innocent little face peers through your car window at a traffic intersection in the capital, begging for alms, reach for your cell phone and dial the welfare helpline number 1098. It's a Delhi government initiative to rescue child beggars.

January 3rd, 2009 PATNA - A task force has been formed by the Bihar government to abolish child labour in the state, a minister said. 'The state government has constituted a force named 'Sramik Chetna Sainik' to help the child labourers employed in the unorganised sector,' state Minister for Labour Resources Awadesh Narayan Singh told IANS by phone.