Indian children rescued from bonded labour to get more compensation

An Indian bonded child labourer cries during a rescue operation by the charity Bachpan Bachao Andolan in New Delhi

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The听Indian government plans a five-fold increase in compensation听given to rescued bonded labourers.

But campaigners said more听must be done to ensure vulnerable people receive the money soon听after being rescued, so they can start new lives.

The revised guidelines, awaiting final approval from the听Ministry of Labour and Employment, would increase compensation听to a minimum of 100,000 rupees ($1450) from 20,000 rupees听($290), a senior ministry official said.

The first revision of the scheme since 1999 also creates听special categories to compensate young children, including听orphans, disabled people and girls rescued from begging rings听and brothels.

A category for transgenders, who often end up begging on听the streets, has also been created and they will be provided听with the maximum compensation of 300,000 rupees ($4360).

Almost 36 million people are enslaved worldwide, trafficked听into brothels, forced into manual labour, stuck in debt bondage听or born into servitude, according to the 2014 Global Slavery听Index.

Nearly half 国产视频� 16 million 国产视频� are in India. Many are lured from听poor, rural areas with the promise of good jobs or marriage but听then sold into domestic work, prostitution, brick kilns or听textile industries. Most are unpaid or held in debt bondage.

Children held in bonded or other forms or labour often do not go to school, robbing them of an education and their future.

The Global Slavery Index says: 国产视频淭here are reports of women and children from India and neighbouring countries being recruited with promises of non-existent jobs and later sold for sexual exploitation or forced into sham marriages.

国产视频淚n some religious groups, pre-pubescent girls are sold for sexual servitude in temples. Recent reports suggest that one child goes missing every eight minutes; it is feared that some are sold into forced begging, domestic work and commercial sexual exploitation.国产视频�

Rescued bonded child labourers walk into a school following a rescue operation in New Delhi by听Bachpan Bachao Andolan

There are 5.7 million Indian child workers between the ages of five and 17, out of 168 million globally, according to an International Labour Organization report.

In December, the Indian government announced it wanted to amend a three-decades-old law which bans children under 14 from working in 18 hazardous occupations and 65 processes including mining, gem cutting and cement manufacture.

The changes would outlaw child labour below 14 in all sectors, stiffen penalties for offenders and expand the age range covered to 15 to 18-year-olds. But children who help their family or family businesses could still work outside school hours.

Nobel Laureate and child rights activist Kailash听Satyarthi 国产视频撎齱hose charity Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) has rescued more than 80,000 enslaved children 国产视频� called the move 国产视频渞egressive, not progressive国产视频�.

Last week, Mr Satyarthji announced plans to launch a 国产视频�100 million to 100 million国产视频� 国产视频� where 100 million young people will stand up for 100 million children 国产视频渨ho are exploited, who become victims of child labour, overlapping abuses and vulnerabilities, and are deprived of their freedom国产视频�.

More than a quarter of a million bonded labourers have been听compensated in India since the scheme was put in place in 1978, according听to government figures.

Until now, each identified bonded labourer is given 2000听rupees ($29) immediately after being rescued and sent back to听their home with the promise of an additional 20,000 rupees听($290).

听国产视频淚t国产视频檚 too little and often comes too late,国产视频� said S.听Vasanthi, member of the Thiruvallur district Released Bonded听Labour Association in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

国产视频淪ome of us have waited for nearly two years for this听amount, which doesn国产视频檛 really help us. How can anyone start听afresh with just 20,000 rupees?国产视频�

The Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, covers humanitarian news, women国产视频檚 rights, corruption and climate change.

Learn more about child labour and how it affects education.