Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort for some years now, our prime ministers have been promising the eradication of child labour in hazardous industries. The truth is, if the government really wanted, child labour in hazardous industries could have been eliminated long time ago; and yes, every Indian child would have been in school by 2003. The government has failed to eliminate this dehumanisation of childhood.It has also failed to launch compulsory primary education for all, despite the rhetoric. Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school and around 10 million are working in hazardous industries. India has the biggest child population of 380 million in the world, plus the largest number of children who are forced to earn a living.

We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries.According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the employment of children (below the age of 14) in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned. But each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment; this makes implementation of these laws difficult. Also, there is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations. Thus, child labour continues because the implementation of the existing laws is lax.

There are industries which have a ‘special’ demand for child labour because of their nimble fingers, high level of concentration and capacity to work hard at abysmally low wages. The carpet industry in UP and Kashmir employs children to make hand-knotted carpets; there are 80,000 child workers in J&K alone. In Kashmir, because of the political unrest, children are forced to work while many schools are shut. Industries like gem¬cutting and polishing, pottery and glass want to remain competitive by employing children. The truth is that it’s poverty which is pushing children into the brutish labour market. We have 260 million people below the poverty line in India, a large number of them are women. Poor, vulnerable parents, especially women-headed families, have no option but to push their little ones in this hard life in hostile conditions, with no human or labour rights.

If the government was at all serious about granting children their rights, an intensive effort ought to have been made to implement the Supreme Court’s directive of 1997 which laid down punitive action against employers of child labour (₹ 20,000 per child to be paid by offending employers). Only compulsory primary education can eliminate child labour. Surely, if 380 million children are given a better life and elementary education, India’s human capital would be greatly enhanced. But that needs, as President Abdul Kalam says, a “second vision”. Can our political establishment see beyond the haze of shallow realpolitik?

1) Which of the following statements is/are true according to the given passage?

a) The government has failed to eliminate this dehumanisation of childhood.

b) The government has also failed to launch compulsory primary education for all.

c) Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school.

d) all are true

e) none is true.

2) According to the passage, which of the following statements is/are false?

a) We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries.

b) According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1982, the employment of children (below the age of 14) in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned.

c) there is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations.

d) all are false

e) none of these

3) Give a suitable title to the passage.

a) If child labour is abolished

b) Primary Education for All: A Step towards abolition of Child Labour

c) Poverty-free World

d) all of the above

e) none of these

4) What is the tone of the passage?

a) Laudatory

b) Biased

c) joyful

d) Ethical

e) Indignant

5) Which of the following is the meaning of eradication?

a) eliminate

b) initiate

c) exaggerate

d) broaden

e) None of the above

Answers :

1) Answer: D

From the lines “The government has failed to eliminate this dehumanisation of childhood. It has also failed to launch compulsory primary education for all, despite the rhetoric. Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school and around 10 million are working in hazardous industries.”, the question can be answered.

2) Answer: B

From the lines,

“We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries. According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, the employment of children (below the age of 14) in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned. But each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment; this makes implementation of these laws difficult. Also, there is no ban on child labour in non-hazardous occupations.”, this question can be answered.

3) Answer: B

The passage talks about the need of primary education in order to stop chold labour; hence, option B is correct.

4) Answer: E

Indignant tone of a passage: when the author shows anger and disagreement towards the subject of the passage in a justified way.

After reading the passage we can clearly understand that here the author has shown his anger for the failure of the government to abolish child labour.

5) Answer: A

Eradication  -the complete destruction of something.