Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Odisha Launches 44-Day Drive to Make Villages Child-Labour-Free
Odisha has started a campaign to help stop children from having to work.
It will last 44 days and reach every gram panchayat in the state.
The campaign is called Shishu Shram Mukta Gram Panchayat.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said child labour can keep children from getting an education.
He said ending child labour is a job for everyone, not just the government.
The campaign asks people to work together so children can learn and pursue their dreams.
A state survey in 1997 counted 215,222 child labourers in Odisha.
The state child rights commission says there has not been another systematic statewide survey since then.
The Odisha government launched a 44-day statewide campaign called Shishu Shram Mukta Gram Panchayat.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about child labour in every gram panchayat across the state.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said child labour deprives children and adolescents of their right to education.
Majhi called on residents to join collective efforts to make Odisha free from child labour.
A 1997 state survey identified 215,222 child labourers in Odisha; no systematic statewide survey has been conducted since, according to the child rights commission.
- Who
- The Odisha government, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and residents invited to participate.
- What
- A 44-day statewide awareness campaign to promote child-labour-free gram panchayats.
- When
- Launched on Friday; the campaign is scheduled to run for 44 days.
- Where
- Across every gram panchayat in Odisha.
- Why
- To raise awareness against child labour and encourage collective efforts to eliminate it.
- Campaign name
- Shishu Shram Mukta Gram Panchayat (Child Labour-Free Gram Panchayat)
- Duration
- 44 days
- Coverage
- Every gram panchayat in Odisha
- Announced by
- Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi
- State survey finding
- A dedicated survey in 1997 identified 215,222 child labourers in Odisha.
- Survey status
- The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights says no systematic statewide survey has been conducted since 1997.