The Union Labour and Employment Ministry has expressed concern over violations of child labour rules in film and television and urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure “strict compliance” by the industry with the norms on working conditions for children, as well as the inclusion of mandatory disclaimers when they appear on screen.
In a letter dated June 26, the Labour ministry flagged violations of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, as amended in 2016, as well as the rules framed under it for the audio-visual industry. The I&B Ministry is likely to issue advisories on the issue to film producers and broadcasters soon, Labour Ministry officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday.
Under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017, child artistes are supposed to work for a maximum of five hours a day and not more than three hours without rest, the ministry noted. The rules also require permission from the District Magistrate and an undertaking by the producer, as well as the deployment of one person each for ensuring the safety and security of a maximum of five children. Children should not be away from schooling for more than 27 days and 20% of their income should be deposited in a fixed deposit in their name, as per the rules.
If a child was involved in filming, the film should include a disclaimer saying that all measures were taken to ensure that no abuse, neglect or exploitation of the child took place during shooting.
“In this regard, it has been observed that the CALPR Act, 1986, and the rules framed thereunder are not being strictly adhered to in the audio-visual industry,” the Labour ministry wrote, adding that this amounted to violation of the Act, attracting punishment.
