Child-labour cases didn't spike during Covid in Karnataka: Data

MYSURU: The year 2019 saw the highest number of child labour cases in the state in the past five years, and the Covid years did not see an increase as had been feared, according to data shared by home minister Araga Jnanedra in the legislature.
There were fears that the Covid pandemic and restrictions imposed in March 2020 would have brought many underaged children into the mainstream labour market.However, experts are not convinced by the quality of the data and said most child-labour activities took place in disguise and under the radar of the authorities.
According to the information shared by minister Jnanendra to MLC Govindaraju's question in the ongoing session, the highest number of cases were recorded in 2019 with 80 complaints. Eight of them were false.
In 2018, at least 64 cases of child labour (of them four were false) were reported; in 2020, 54 cases (three false cases); in 2021, 58 cases (three false cases); and in 2022, 61 cases were reported. In the past year, only one case was found to be baseless. One case has been filed in January this year. The government also said no district has recorded double-digit cases in 2021 and 2022.
Experts are divided over the reason for the decline in child labour cases during and post pandemic. According to Child Rights Trust director Nagasimha G Rao, child labour was in disguise during the pandemic. "Even if children were involved in farming activities, selling vegetables or doing other work, the data was not compiled citing these children are supporting the family," he said.
E Dhananjaya, member of quasi-judicial Child Welfare Committee, Mysuru, said during the pandemic, jobs were not available. So, children were not found working.