Section – 70. Employment of persons below eighteen years of age.
(1) No person below eighteen years of age shall be permitted to work in any mine or part thereof.
(2) Notwithstanding sub-section (1), apprentices and trainees who are not below sixteen years of age may be allowed to work under proper supervision by the manager referred to in section 67:
Provided that in the case of trainees (other than apprentices), prior approval of the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator or an Inspector-cum-Facilitator shall be obtained before allowing them to work.
(3) The Central Government may prescribe provisions for medical examination of apprentices, trainees and employees in mines to ensure fitness for work and to prevent persons below sixteen years of age from working as apprentices or trainees, and those not being adults from working as employees.
Explanation.—In this section, “apprentice” has the same meaning as assigned in clause (a) of section 2 of the Apprentices Act, 1961.