PENCIL Portal

In June 2017, India ratified two significant conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO): Working Age Convention no. 138 and Agreement on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. 182, which reflects the country’s desire to rule without child labor. The main goal of the National Child Labour Program (NCLPS), launched in 1988, is to appropriately rehabilitate children who have been put out of work to reduce child labour in areas with a high concentration of child labour.

Portal for Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) is an electronic platform that aims to engage the Centre, States, Countries, Governments, civil society, and the general public toward the goal of a child-labor-free society. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, has launched the Child Labour Effectiveness Platform (Pencil).

World Day Against Child Labour:

International Day for the Elimination of Child Labor is observed on 12 June to draw attention to the harmful effects of child labor. It is a holiday approved by the International Labor Organization (ILO). The day was started in 2002 to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour. It has its roots in ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment and ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor. This day is celebrated every year around the world to promote the movement against child labor. It brings together governments, municipalities, civil society, workers, and employers’ organizations to address the issue of child labor and identify recommendations to help working children.

Objective of the PENCIL Portal:

• The main objective of the Pencil Portal is to build a robust identification system to implement and monitor the implementation of legal provisions and effective implementation of NCLP. 
• It aims to promote convergence and ensure better coordination between government institutions and the public.

Features of the PENCIL Portal:

• This is an entirely different internet portal.
• The Ministry of Labour and Employment created it.
• Connects the central government with the state governments.
• Acts as a liaison between governments and all districts and project companies.
• At the State level, the State Resource Center will monitor its progress.
• People are allowed to register any complaint online on this portal with respect to the issues related to Child Labour.
• Once the complaint is registered, it automatically gets assigned to the concerned Nodal Officer. This step ensures legal action by the concerned authority quickly and efficiently.
• The State Resource Center has been established at the State Labour Department.
• District Nodal Officers (DNOs) are given the power to take action on the complaints received at the district level.

Components of the PENCIL Portal:

The PENCIL portal has the following component :

1. Child Tracking System:

The child monitoring is done at the district manager level or through the record card maintained by the NCLP project manager. The progress of the child is recorded quarterly on the index card. It also helps migrant children to continue their education.

2. Complaint Corner:

This feature allows anyone to file a complaint about incidents of child or youth labor, which will be forwarded to the governor of the county concerned. Upon receipt of the complaint, Node Security checks the authenticity of the complaint with the participation of the police and other interested parties. The district head will have to decide on the possibility of rehabilitating the rescued child or adolescent within 48 hours from the date of delivery of the first act.

3. State Government:

The portal provides access to a government resource center that monitors the implementation of the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 2016 and the NCLP system.

4. National Child Labour Project:

NCLP publicizes reports and financial statements on the Pencil website.
As per NCLP guidelines, the company submits project and financial reports.

5. Convergence:

The rescued children aged 5-8 years have been admitted to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) school. The rescued children between  8 and 14 are admitted to the Special Training Center of NCLP. The rescued adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 are admitted to the Saksham Skill Development Centre.

Beneficiaries of the PENCIL Portal:

• Children who are victims of human trafficking are given a second chance to learn and lead a decent life.
• Children who are employed in various harmful occupations.
• Agencies and Project companies
• Governments at central and state levels.

Implementation of the PENCIL Portal:

• The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched this web portal.
• It links state and central governments with districts and project committees for proper implementation.
• The progress at the state level is monitored by the State Resource Centre.
• The National Resource Centre was established under the Ministry of Employment.
• District Heads (DNOs) are empowered to act on complaints received at the district level.
• Anyone can file a complaint of child labor online on this website.
• The complaints submitted online are automatically forwarded to the Chief Officer in real-time and the appropriate Chief Officer for further action.
• The pencil has received 1,010 child labor complaints so far.
• As per the updated data, the district guards have resolved 361 complaints so far.

Significance of the PENCIL Portal:

• It will ensure the right to education and life for many children who are victims of human trafficking.
• This will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It is helping to reduce and eliminate child labor in India.
• This will improve coordination and thus improve the implementation of various projects related to child labor.
• This will benefit the poor of India and will help strengthen law and order.

About the Childline 1098:

Childline 1098 is the phone number that brings hope to millions of children in India. Free emergency calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for kids in need of assistance. They not only respond to the immediate needs of children but also connect them with the right long-term care and rehabilitation services.