India's government is banning the employment of children under age 14 as domestic servants or workers in hotels, restaurants and small teashops in a bid to protect young people from poor families. The order issued this week also prohibits employing children in spas, motels, tourist resorts or other recreational centers, the Labor Ministry said in a statement. The ban takes effect Oct. 10, but its effectiveness remains to be seen. India already bars child labor in hazardous industries, but the rules are widely ignored and tens of thousands of children continue making matches, incense sticks and firecrackers and weaving carpets.
See "India Bans Employment of Young Children", Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, August 2, 2006