Odisha News / From Awareness to Action: Odisha’s Push Against Child Labour Begins

Bhubaneswar, Oct 3: Seeking to tackle one of the state's most persistent social challenges, the Odisha government has launched a 44-day statewide awareness campaign aimed at transforming every Gram Panchayat into a child labour-free zone, officials said on Saturday.

The initiative, titled ‘Shishu Shram Mukta Gram Panchayat ‘(Child Labour-Free Gram Panchayat), signals a renewed push to address an issue that continues to affect the lives and futures of thousands of children despite decades of legal safeguards and welfare interventions.

Announcing the campaign through a video message, ChiefMinister Mohan Charan Majhi described child labour as a social evil that deprives children and adolescents of their fundamental right to education. Linking the initiative to the spirit of Gandhi Jayanti, he said the state had resolved to eliminate child labour and create conditions where every child can pursue education and personal development.

A community-led approach

Unlike conventional enforcement-driven measures, the campaign seeks to mobilise communities at the grassroots level. The awareness drive will be conducted across all Gram Panchayats in Odisha over the next 44 days, focusing on sensitisation, public participation and collective accountability.

The Chief Minister stressed that eradicating child labour cannot be left solely to government agencies. Instead, he called upon citizens, community leaders, educators and local institutions to work together to identify, prevent and report instances of child labour.

A challenge that persists

The campaign comes against the backdrop of limited recent data on child labour in Odisha. The last dedicated state survey, conducted in 1997, identified 2,15,222 child labourers. Since then, no comprehensive statewide survey has been undertaken, according to the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The absence of updated data underscores the complexity of the challenge. Child labour often remains intertwined with poverty, economic vulnerability, school dropout rates and migration, making sustained community engagement critical for lasting change.
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Investing in Odisha’s future

The government has framed the campaign not merely as a welfare initiative but as a long-term investment in human development. According to Majhi, ensuring the holistic growth of children is central to the vision of a Samruddha Odisha.

By focusing on Gram Panchayats, the state is attempting to build a grassroots movement that safeguards children's rights while strengthening access to education. The success of the initiative, however, will depend on whether awareness translates into sustained action at the village level and measurable reductions in child labour across Odisha.