Raja Ravi Varma Oil Paintings Picture Images Gallery

Untouchability :Observance of caste system, with all its rigour and formalities, was another peculiarity of Kerala. The observance of

untouchability vanished consequent to the movements of social reforms, especially the one initiated by Sree Narayana Guru. The Temple Entry Proclamation of the Raja of Travancore effective by put a end to the system of untouchability in South Kerala.

Today, Kerala is the only State in India where untouchability as well as repression of Harijans are unheard of. Moreover, the progressive Governments in Kerala have been adopting several measures for the uplift of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward communities.
Child Labour :There are more children under the age of fourteen in India than the entire population of the United States. The great challenge of India, as a developing country, is to provide nutrition, education and health care to these children.

Children under fourteen constitute around 3.6% of the total labor force in India. Of these children, nine out of every ten work in their own rural family settings. Nearly 85% are engaged in traditional agricultural activities. Less than 9% work in manufacturing, services and repairs. Only about 0.8% work in factories.

While child labor is a complex problem that is basically rooted in poverty, there is unwavering commitment by the Government and the people of India to combat it. Success can be achieved only through social engineering on a major scale combined with national economic growth. International policies and actions, therefore, must support and not hamper India's efforts to get rid of child labor.

India has all along followed a proactive policy with respect to the problem of child labor, and has stood for constitutional, statutory and developmental measures to combat child labor. Six ILO conventions relating to child labor have been ratified,, three of these as early as the first quarter of this century.

The first Act in India relating to child labor was the Enactment of Children (Pledging of Labor) Act of February 1933. Since then there have been nine different Indian legislations relating to child labor. The strategy of progressive elimination of child labor underscores India's legislative intent, and takes cognizance of the fact that child labor is not an isolated phenomenon that can be tackled without simultaneously taking into account the socio-economic milieu that is at the root of the problem.

The Government of India is determined to eradicate child labor in the country. The world's largest child labor elimination program is being implemented at the grass roots level in India, with primary education targeted for nearly 250 million. In this a large number of non-governmental and voluntary organizations are involved. Special investigation cells have been set up in States to enforce existing laws banning employment of children in hazardous industries. The allocation of the Government of India for the elimination of child labor was $10 million in 1995-96 and $16 million in 1996-97. The allocation for the current year is $21 million.

The International Program on Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) has the world's largest international initiative on child labor in India. The total outlay under this program between 1992 and 1996 has been $4.15 million.