Child artistes cannot be made to work for over 5 hours: NCPCR guidelines for child artistes

In a move that has been in the offing for some time, child rights body, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), has finalized and uploaded the guidelines for the protection of child artistes, with a special focus on the working hours and working conditions.

Last year, the guidelines were presented in a draft format (Click here to go through the draft guidelines) to stakeholders in the matter for their suggestions. The NCPCR also had a series of meetings with over-the-top (OTT) platforms, associations, and all bodies related to the matter.

Let us look at what the NCPCR’s finalized guidelines for child actors say:

1. Any producer employing a child artiste would need permission from the concerned district magistrate before the child artiste performs or takes part in any audiovisual media production or commercial event.
2. The child artiste can be allowed to shoot provided the dates of shooting do not clash with school days. Shooting for child artistes to be held preferably on holidays.
3. The producer shall arrange for appropriate facilities for education to ensure that there is no discontinuity from their lessons at school, and no child shall be allowed to work consecutively for more than 27 days.
4. As per the established labor laws, no child artiste shall be made to work for more than 5 hours a day.
5. No child should be forced to or be made to share dressing rooms with adult artistes, especially of the opposite gender.
6. At all times, one parent or legal guardian is to be present during the shooting if the child artiste is below the age of 6.
7. 20% of the salary of every child artiste to be directly deposited into a fixed deposit account.
8. Any producer found guilty of violating any other provision of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act, 1986 is liable to be punished under Section 14 of the Act.
9. All producers working with child artistes will have to strictly ensure that there is no abuse, neglect, or exploitation of the child artiste during the duration of the shooting.

With these guidelines, child artistes can hope for better working conditions and protection against exploitation and other ills troubling them in the industry.