Taking a decisive step against the serious social challenge of child labour, the state of Jharkhand hosted a grand inter-state conference here on Thursday, focused on the integrated 2025–2030 Action Plan. This initiative was jointly organised by the Child Welfare Association and the International Labour Organization (ILO), with the active support of the Labour, Employment, Training and Skill Development Department and the Department of Women and Child Development. The main objective of the conference was to finalise an innovative and coordinated action plan to make Jharkhand completely child labour free by the year 2030. The conference proved to be a crucial platform for strategic discussions and collective commitment among experts, officials, child stakeholders, and departmental representatives from neighbouring states. On this historic occasion, over 250 dignitaries participated, including child protection experts, social workers, government officials, Child Welfare Committees, District Child Protection Units, and representatives from NGOs from across states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Chief Guest, Jitendra Kumar Singh, Secretary – Labour, Employment and Training Department, said, Jharkhand has made historic progress in the fight against child labour. As per the 2011 Census, while India registered a 66 per cent decline in child labour, Jharkhand recorded an exceptional 78 per cent drop. This achievement is the result of collective efforts, the vision of policymakers, and the dedication of grassroots workers. He praised the role of the Child Welfare Association as motivational, commendable, and exemplary, and wholeheartedly acknowledged the leadership and commitment of its Secretary, Sanjay Kumar. He further noted the admirable achievement of updating the action plan in such a short time to suit present-day contexts. Michiko Miyamoto, Director, ILO South Asia, called child labour a global issue, stating that its roots lie in poverty, inequality, and lack of education. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a worrying increase in the number of child labourers across the world. The time has come to ensure a sensitive, safe, and empowered future for these children, alongside their rehabilitation, she said. She added that recent global data released by the ILO further highlights the severity of this issue, and the conference reflects a strong global commitment in this direction. One of the core problems is that the parents of many child labourers are themselves unemployed, which pushes children into labour. We all must work together to address this. Sanjay Mishra, founder of the Child Welfare Association, underlined the commitment of the Jharkhand Government, stating that the Hemant Soren Government has prioritised the protection of child rights. As a result of the Governments multi-tiered efforts, not only has child labour declined, but strong mechanisms have also been developed against child marriage and human trafficking. He cited the safe rescue and reunion of 507 girls from cities like Delhi with their families during the COVID-19 crisis as evidence of the Governments sensitivity.

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