Ban on Govt. staff employing children

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 26. The Centre has imposed a ban on employing children below 14 years as domestic servants by all Government employees in the All India Services.

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), at whose instance and insistence the ban has been imposed, has been urging the Centre to bring about such a prohibition as it felt that employing children below and upto the age of 14 for work by anyone was reprehensible, more so by any Government servant.

The Commission had in February 1997 suggested that an appropriate rule be incorporated in the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

Since then the NHRC had been pursuing this matter with the Centre and the States and the then Chairperson had written to the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension on February 10, 1997 to amend the relevant rules and it was followed by letters to the Chief Ministers of all States on March 3.

The Centre has finally accepted the recommendations and amended both the Central Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964 and the All India Services (conduct) Rules, 1968.

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal had also amended the Civil Services (Conduct) Rules concerning their employees.

Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Meghalaya, Orissa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh had intimated to the Commission that they were still in the process of considering the recommendations of the Commission to amend the Rules.

Manipur, Nagaland and Rajasthan are yet to respond to the Commission's letters and the Commission said it was committed in pursuing this matter till the end.

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