Identification To Rehabilitation: A Holistic Framework for Addressing Bonded Labour Exploitation

Abstract

Bonded Labour is one of the ignored conceptions in the race of this growth. India still has around 3 Lac identified bonded labours and mark the work, these are just who are identified. Bonded Labour is defined under section 2 (g) of Bonded Labour (Abolition) Systems Act, 1976 as services rendered out of loan or debt or any advance. This is a relationship of creditor-debtor between employer and employee. Bonded Labour is one of the most common and under reported type of exploitation in India. This raises major concerns about the efficiency of contemporary legal framework in identifying and rehabilitation of victims. The initiatives form government in identifying and rehabilitation fails to fulfil the socioeconomic requirements of Bonded labour system in India. The rehabilitation schemes like centrally sector scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded labourers of 1978, 2016, 2020 shows the absence of safeguards for bonded labours in the current legal framework. The labour codes of 2019 which contains several acts doesn't address the persistent issue of bonded labour in it and only available legislative act is the Bonded labour system (abolition) act of 1976 which in itself is outdated with very less punishments. The research paper delves into study the need for modification in Bonded labour abolition act of 1976 and various existing legal frameworks such as centrally sector schemes and their effectiveness in contemporary world. Furthermore, the paper delves into the role of NGOs and civil societies in strengthening the mechanism of identification and rehabilitation.

Keywords: Bonded Labours, Identification, Rehabilitation, Exploitation