The government on Monday blamed the socio-economic conditions unique to India for its failure to ratify International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions to ban child labour.

"Compelling conditions force children to seek employment to supplement their family income," minister of State for labour Harish Rawat said in his reply to a question at Lok Sabha.

"As far as the ratification of the ILO conventions on child labour are concerned, this would only be possible after a legislative framework and mechanism for effective implementation are in place," the minister added.

India is yet to ratify conventions 182 banning and prohibiting the 'worst forms of child labour' and 138 banning employment of individuals under 18 in certain sectors.

The ILO defines the 'worst forms of child labour' as the employment of children in prostitution, pornography, forced recruitment for armed conflict and use of children in illicit or hazardous activities.

Rawat also informed the lower house that a working group under former laboour secretary S. K. Shrivastava had suggested in its report that the existing definition of a child as a person under 14 years of age should continue. The report also recommended the inclusion of education for child labour in the Child Labour Act, 1986. The Act currently provides only for health and safety of working children.