📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Crime
800 Child Labourers Rescued Across Karnataka After CM Shivakumar's Market Visit
✍️ indianexpress.com
🗓 13 Sep 2026, 07:47 PM
👁 5
State authorities freed roughly 800 children working in hazardous jobs across Karnataka, a rescue drive launched days after Chief Minister Basavaraj Shivakumar inspected a local market.
Karnataka police, together with the child welfare department, have rescued about 800 minors who were employed in various informal sectors, ranging from street vending to small workshops. The operation, coordinated across multiple districts, was initiated shortly after Chief Minister Basavaraj Shivakumar visited a bustling market in the state and highlighted the need to curb child labour.
Officials said the rescued children were taken to government-run child care homes where they will receive medical check‑ups, counseling and enrollment in schools. Families of the children are being counseled about the legal provisions that prohibit employing minors and are being offered assistance to transition to legitimate livelihood options.
The rescue drive is part of a broader state effort to enforce the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and to strengthen monitoring mechanisms in markets and small enterprises. Authorities have also announced plans to conduct surprise inspections in other high‑risk areas to prevent further exploitation.
While the operation marks a significant step in addressing child labour in Karnataka, officials cautioned that sustained vigilance and community cooperation will be essential to ensure that rescued children remain in education and do not return to work.
Officials said the rescued children were taken to government-run child care homes where they will receive medical check‑ups, counseling and enrollment in schools. Families of the children are being counseled about the legal provisions that prohibit employing minors and are being offered assistance to transition to legitimate livelihood options.
The rescue drive is part of a broader state effort to enforce the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and to strengthen monitoring mechanisms in markets and small enterprises. Authorities have also announced plans to conduct surprise inspections in other high‑risk areas to prevent further exploitation.
While the operation marks a significant step in addressing child labour in Karnataka, officials cautioned that sustained vigilance and community cooperation will be essential to ensure that rescued children remain in education and do not return to work.