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Last Updated: 16 Oct 2025

National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme

National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at the rehabilitation of child labour through education, awareness, and monitoring, implemented via District Project Societies and supported by the PENCiL portal for effective enforcement.

Quick facts

  • Type:  Central Sector Scheme
  • Purpose: Rehabilitation of child labor
  • Target group: Children below 14 years of age and adolescents below 18 years of age

Implementation: Through District Project Societies (DPS)

Objectives

  • To eliminate all forms of child labour, raising awareness amongst and creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.

Salient features

  • Background: The NCLP scheme was merged with the Samagara Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Scheme from 2021. (NOTE: For details on SSA Scheme refer to the Ministry of Education)
  • Rehabilitation: The payment of stipend to the children is made on modular basis for a minimum of three months through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 

  • District Project Societies (DPS)
    • Set up under the Collector/ District Magistrate
    • Conduct survey to identify children working in hazardous occupations and processes. 
    • Also, oversee the implementation of the project.
  • PENCiL portal: PENCiL (Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour is a dedicated portal for better monitoring of the scheme.

Related information

  • India ratified ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and Convention 138 on the Minimum Age of Employment.
  • Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act 2016 prohibits the 'engagement of children (under 14 years of age) in all occupations and of adolescents (under 18 years of age) in hazardous occupations.
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