The recent case flagged by the Haryana Human Rights Commission, involving a 14-year-old allegedly held as bonded labour and abandoned after a serious injury, underscores the persistent issue of bonded child labour in India. This incident highlights systemic failures and the urgent need for comprehensive measures to combat such exploitation.
Article 21: Guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, encompassing the right to live with dignity.
Article 23: Explicitly prohibits human trafficking and forced labour, declaring them unconstitutional.
Article 24: Prohibits the employment of children below 14 years in factories, mines, or hazardous occupations.
Directive Principles of State Policy:
Article 42: Aims to ensure just and humane working conditions.
Article 43: Calls for the State to secure a living wage and decent working conditions.
Article 46: Promotes the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and weaker sections, who are disproportionately affected by bonded labour.
Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976: Abolishes bonded labour, frees bonded labourers from obligations, and criminalises such practices.
Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (amended 2016): Prohibits children under 14 from working, and restricts adolescents (14–18 years) from hazardous occupations.
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: Provides for care, protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration of children in need.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Addresses the offense of unlawful compulsory labor, providing legal provisions to prevent and punish forced labor practices.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), 1989: Article 32 mandates protection of children from economic exploitation and hazardous work.
International Labour Organization Conventions:
Convention 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999) – ratified by India.
The mnemonic BONDAGE encapsulates the systemic factors contributing to bonded child labour:
Bureaucratic Inefficiency: Poor enforcement of laws and regulations makes bonded labor persistent.
Overwhelming Poverty: Families living in extreme poverty often resort to bonded child labour as a means of survival.
No Education: Lack of education opportunities forces children into labor instead of schooling.
Debt Traps: Families often fall into debt, and children work to repay loans with high interest rates.
Agricultural and Allied Sectors: Large informal sectors like agriculture exploit children for cheap labor.
Gender Discrimination: Gender inequality exacerbates the exploitation, as girls are often more vulnerable to bonded labor.
Exploitation by Employers: Employers in unregulated sectors exploit weak laws and poor enforcement, forcing children to work in harsh and exploitative conditions.
The mnemonic RESCUE outlines essential measures to combat bonded child labour:
Revive Law Enforcement: Strengthen enforcement of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, by mandating State Governments to establish Vigilance Committees with legal authority and digital tracking of complaints.
Educate Children: Ensure access to education for all children, as guaranteed under Article 21A of the Constitution, preventing exploitation and promoting dignity.
Support Families: Expand welfare schemes like Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to provide financial stability to vulnerable families.
Create Awareness: Raise awareness about human dignity and the legal prohibitions on child labor and exploitation.
Unite Communities: Build community awareness by encouraging collective responsibility so exploitation is socially unacceptable and harder to hide.
Empower NGOs: Collaborate with NGOs to implement the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded labourers (2021), focusing on the social and economic reintegration of freed bonded laborers.
Ahilyanagar Police Rescue: In Nashik, three bonded laborers were rescued from cattle rearers. One accused was arrested, and charges were filed under multiple sections of the BNS and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
Rescue in Madurai: A couple and their 11-year-old son were rescued from bonded labour in Kandangipatti village. The family had moved there after accepting a job offer from a cattle farmer, who promised ₹3.5 lakh for a year's work. A case was filed, and the family was granted ₹30,000 from the bonded labour corpus fund for rehabilitation
The government is considering support measures worth around Rs 25,000 crore for exporters.
This support will be provided over six financial years (2025-2031) under the Export Promotion Mission announced in the Union Budget.
The Export Promotion Mission is a flagship initiative announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
It aims to promote broad-based, inclusive, and sustainable export growth over the next six years.
The mission is designed to go beyond conventional methods to address the key challenges faced by Indian exporters, with a focus on MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises).
The mission is driven by three key ministries:
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Ministry of Finance
The Department of Commerce acts as the lead department, coordinating the mission.
The mission focuses on enhancing export competitiveness by:
Improving access to export credit to ease financing constraints.
Promoting cross-border factoring to help exporters manage receivables.
Assisting MSMEs in overcoming non-tariff barriers like regulatory challenges and compliance requirements in global markets.
The mission will be executed via two main sub-schemes with distinct focus areas and allocated budgets:
Budget: Over Rs 10,000 crore.
Key components include:
Interest Equalisation Support: Financial aid amounting to over Rs 5,000 crore to reduce the interest burden on exporters’ loans from 2025 to 2031.
Support for alternative trade finance instruments to diversify sources of export financing.
Introduction of a credit card for e-commerce exporters to streamline payment and credit facilities.
Other innovative financing mechanisms designed to bridge liquidity gaps faced by exporters.
Budget: Over Rs 14,500 crore.
Main focus areas include:
Export Quality Compliance: Funding of about Rs 4,000 crore to help exporters meet international quality standards.
Overseas Market Development: Support of over Rs 4,000 crore to expand Indian exporters' presence in global markets.
Assistance in branding, export warehousing, and logistics to improve the overall export ecosystem.
Capacity Building initiatives to integrate more Indian enterprises, especially MSMEs, into global value chains.
Completion:
The 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan has been successfully completed.
Final Synchronisation:
The last and final unit, Unit 6 (170 MW), was recently synchronized with the power grid.
Source:
Information was confirmed by the Embassy of India in Thimphu.
Type & Location:
A 1 GW run-of-the-river hydroelectric power project.
Located in the Wangdue Phodrang district of Bhutan, on the right bank of the Punatsangchhu River.
Development & Agreement:
Developed by the Punatsangchhu II Hydroelectric Project Authority.
Governed by an Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of India.
Funding:
Funded by the Government of India (GoI).
Funding structure: 30% grant and 70% loan at 10% annual interest.
Loan repayment: In 30 equal semi-annual installments, starting one year after the project becomes operational.
Impact:
The project has increased Bhutan’s installed power capacity by about 40%, raising it to over 3500 MW.
Energy Security: Enhances Bhutan's capacity to meet domestic energy needs and increase electricity exports, primarily to India
Environmental Sustainability: As a run-of-the-river project, it minimizes large-scale flooding and ecological disruption, providing a greener alternative to traditional hydropower
Economic Growth: Contributes to Bhutan's economic development by increasing its installed power capacity by approximately 40%, surpassing 3,500 MW
The population of one-horned rhinos in Gorumara National Park (Jalpaiguri, West Bengal) has increased due to the recent birth of two rhino calves.
This positive development reflects the success of ongoing conservation efforts in the park.
Located in Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal.
Declared a National Park in 1992.
Covers an area of approximately 79.45 square kilometers.
Situated on the banks of the Murti and Raidak rivers.
Lies in the Terai region of Dooars, at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas.
Characterized by a rich variety of habitats due to its location in the subtropical Himalayan foothills.
Known for its rich biodiversity, especially endangered species like the one-horned rhinoceros.
Supports a variety of flora and fauna unique to the Terai and Himalayan foothill ecosystem.
Dominated by Sal forests.
Other common trees include:
Common Teak
Rain Tree (Shirish or Albizia lebbeck)
Silk Cotton (Shimul or Bombax malabaricum)
Extensive bamboo groves.
Rich Terai grassland vegetation supporting many herbivores.
Presence of tropical riverine reeds along the rivers.
Habitat for numerous tropical orchids, adding to the floral diversity.
Indian Rhinoceros (One-horned Rhino)
Asian Elephant
Indian Bison (Gaur)
Leopard
Various deer species:
Sambar Deer
Barking Deer
Spotted Deer
Wild Boar
Peafowl (National bird of India)
Red Junglefowl (Wild ancestor of the domestic chicken)
Indian Hornbill
Many other diverse bird species, making it a birdwatcher’s paradise.
Scientific Name: Rhinoceros unicornis
Found mainly in India and Nepal.
Inhabits the foothills of the Himalayas and adjacent floodplains.
Historically, its range included the floodplains of the Brahmaputra, Ganges, and Indus rivers.
The largest population is found in Kaziranga National Park, Assam (approx. 2,401 rhinos).
Prefers semi-aquatic environments.
Often found in swamps, dense forests, riversides, and near nutrient-rich mineral licks.
Largest of the three Asian rhino species.
Male Size:
Weight: About 2,200 kg (~4,840 pounds)
Height: Between 170 cm to 186 cm (67 to 73 inches)
Length: 368 cm to 380 cm (145 to 150 inches)
Appearance:
Single black horn, ranging from 8 to 25 inches in length.
Grey-brown hide with thick skin folds resembling armor plates.
Generally solitary, except for females with calves.
Males maintain loosely defended territories.
Primarily grazers, feeding mostly on grasses.
Also consume leaves, branches, fruits, and aquatic plants.
Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to threats like habitat loss and poaching.
Conservation efforts in parks like Gorumara and Kaziranga are crucial for the survival and growth of the species.
Population growth in Gorumara reflects the success of protected area management and anti-poaching measures.
The water level at Pong Dam recently breached the danger mark, prompting authorities to open all six floodgates to manage inflow and prevent overflow.
The elevated water level caused flooding in nearby Punjab villages, leading to evacuations and relief efforts.
After several days above the danger mark, water levels have slightly receded but are still being closely monitored, especially during the monsoon season.
Also called the Beas Dam, it is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in the Shivalik hills, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
Built between 1961 and 1974, it was once the tallest dam of its type in India.
The dam created the Maharana Pratap Sagar, an artificial lake that became a bird sanctuary in 1983 and a Ramsar Wetland Site in 2002.
It supports rich biodiversity, including migratory birds like Bar-headed Geese and black storks, and is an important fish reservoir.
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We provide offline, online and recorded lectures in the same amount.
Every aspirant is unique and the mentoring is customised according to the strengths and weaknesses of the aspirant.
In every Lecture. Director Sir will provide conceptual understanding with around 800 Mindmaps.
We provide you the best and Comprehensive content which comes directly or indirectly in UPSC Exam.
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