legal essay on child labour in india

Child Labour – India’s Hidden Shame

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

One of the most unfortunate consequences of the pandemic and its wide range of restrictions has been the higher vulnerability of children to different forms of abuse and deprivation. Moreover, the second wave of COVID-19 has left several children without both or one of their parents. This situation exposed them to hopelessness, financial hardships and increased risk of child labour, exploitation, and trafficking.

This topic of “Child Labour – India’s Hidden Shame” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination , which falls under General Studies Portion.

Who is a child?

Child and Adolescent Labour (prohibition and regulation) Act 1986 defines the child as a person who has not completed the age of 14 years.

Express Learning Programme (ELP)

• Optional Notes
• Study Hacks
• Prelims Sureshots (Repeated Topic Compilations)
• Current Affairs (Newsbits, Editorials & In-depths)
• Ancient Indian History
• Medieval Indian History
• Modern Indian History
• Post-Independence Indian History
• World History
• Art & Culture
• Geography (World & Indian)
• Indian Society & Social Justice
• Indian Polity
• International Relations
• Indian Economy
• Environment 
• Agriculture
• Internal Security
• Disasters & its Management
• General Science – Biology
• General Studies (GS) 4 – Ethics
• Syllabus-wise learning
• Political Science
• Anthropology
• Public Administration

SIGN UP NOW

What is Child Labour?

• Child Labour as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a work that takes away children their childhood, their potential and their dignity which is harmful to their physical as well as mental development.
• ILO also explains child labour in its most extreme forms involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities — often at a very early age.
• But Children or adolescents who involve in works that do not impact their health and personal development or affect their schooling is not child labour. For instance, helping their parents at home, helping family or earning pocket money outside school hours and on holidays.

Prelims Sureshots – Most Probable Topics for UPSC Prelims

A Compilation of the Most Probable Topics for UPSC Prelims, including Schemes, Freedom Fighters, Judgments, Acts, National Parks, Government Agencies, Space Missions, and more. Get a guaranteed 120+ marks!

How children are exploited for Labour in India?

Instead of being in school or at play or other constructive activities, they are put to work on a range of activities that span repetitive low-skill work that doesn’t aid development for future employment opportunities, they are forced to be exposed to conditions devastating to health and safety in the agriculture, industry and service sectors.

The work involves long hours on a bewildering range of tasks such as transferring pollen in cotton plants, picking the crop with their bare hands, indentured on tea or tobacco plantations and brick making factories and construction sites; being sent down dangerous mines for extracting gold and diamonds, or confined to cramped workshops for cutting and polishing gemstones; working at slaughterhouses and tanneries with minimal protection or under life-threatening conditions at fireworks factories.

Children are very commonly employed in the murky underbelly of the fashion industry in yarn and spinning mills, and garment factory sweatshops, put to work from handling silkworms in scalding water to doing painstaking embellishment work. They are on the streets picking rags – carrying an entire recycling industry on their shoulders, or in homes doing domestic work either as employees of others or in the case of girls in their own homes where they are treated as free labour and not considered as deserving of education as their brothers.

The worst of all is the human trafficking situations of modern-day slavery that children are thrown into, facing horrific abuse and lifelong trauma as bonded labourers or sold into sexual exploitation . Alongside the physical implications of this work, can we even begin to imagine the mental health consequences for these children and adolescents forced into labour?

What is the statistics of child labour in India?

According to the 2011 census,

• there were more than 10.2 million children in the age group of 5-14 working as child labourers.
• Child labour has increased rapidly in urban areas and declined in rural areas.
• The overall decrease in child labour is only 2.2% per year from 2001-2011.
• India’s biggest child labour employers are – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

What is the nature of child labour in India?

Change in work location: There has been high involvement of children in home-based works and in the informal sector.

Rural-Urban areas:

• In urban areas, a huge number of children are involved in manual domestic work, rag picking, restaurants, motor repair shops, etc.
• Agriculture including cotton growing,
• Matchbox industries,
• Brass, and lock-making factories,
• Embroidery,
• Rag-picking,
• Beedi-rolling,
• Carpet-making industry,
• Mining and stone quarrying,
• Brick kilns,
• Tea gardens etc.

Gender specific: The division of labour is gender-specific with girls being engaged in more domestic and home-based work, and boys working as wage labourers.

Bonded Child labour: refers to the employment of a person against a loan, debt or social obligation by the family of the child or family as a whole. Bonded child labourers are mostly found in the agriculture sector or helping their families in brick kilns, and stone quarries. There are around 10 million bonded child labourers in India.

Migrant Children: Children who are migrating to other locations with family are often forced to drop-out schools and unavoidably put to work at work-sites.

What are the causes of Child Labour in India?

Poverty and Indebtedness:

• Poverty is the greatest cause of child labour. For impoverished households, income from a child’s work is generally important for his or her own survival or for that of the household.
• Children are also bonded to labour because of the family indebtedness.
• Rural poverty and urban migration often expose children to being trafficked for work.

Adult unemployment and under-employment : high prevalence of adult unemployment and under-employment often force children to work to support the family.

Illiteracy and Ignorance of parents:  Illiteracy of the child’s parents further worsens the crisis. Illiteracy and Lack of awareness of the harmful consequences of child labour make them violate the law and put their children under the risk of inhuman exploitation.

Lack of access to basic and meaningful quality education and skills training:

• The current educational infrastructure is highly unsuitable to children of economically deprived families.
• Furthermore, the deteriorating quality of education has resulted in increasing dropout rates and forced children to engage in work.
• Compulsory education (RTE) does not cover the 15-18 age group (adolescents). However, being illiterate or school dropouts, these children are vulnerable and most exploited for the informal, unskilled and casual workforce.

Demand for child labour :

• Rising demand for child labour particularly in urban areas is an important cause for the prevalence and increase in child labour.
• Children are employed as they are cheap and flexible with respect to the demands of the employer and not aware of their rights.

Cultural factors:

• An expectation that children should contribute to the socio-economic survival of the family and community, as well as the existence of large families,  contribute to the prevalence of child labour.
• Children mostly take up family’s traditional work from an early age. For instance, a Goldsmith’s son takes to gold-smithery, or a carpenter’s child takes up carpentry from an early age.

Social factors:  There is a strong correlation between India’s differentiated social structure and child labour. The majority of child labourers in India belong to the so called lower castes (SCs), the tribal and Muslim religious minority.

What are the impacts of child labour?

• Affect childhood: Child labour takes away a child of his/her childhood. It not only denies his/her right to education but also right to leisure.
• Affect adult life: Child labour prevents children from gaining the skills and education they require to have opportunities for decent work when they become an adult.
• Major health and physical risks: as they work long hours and are needed to do tasks for which they are physically and mentally unprepared. Working in hazardous situations adversely impacts a child’s physical and mental health and affects intellectual, emotional and psychological development.
• Poverty: Child labour is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Household poverty makes children enter the labour market to earn money = they miss out on an opportunity to get an education = further continuing household poverty across generations in a vicious cycle.

• Affect country as a whole: Existence of a large number of child labourers has long term effect on the economy and it is a serious obstacle to the socio-economic welfare of the country.

What are the International Safeguards against Child Labour?

International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions:

• The two Core Conventions directly related to child labour are that of ILO Convention 138 (Minimum age convention) and 182 (Worst forms of Child Labour Convention).
• India has ratified both the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions.

Declaration of Rights of Child, 1959:

• Universal declaration of human rights 1948 –  mentions (under article 25) that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.
• The above principles along with other principles of a universal declaration concerning child were incorporated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989

It sets out different rights of children- civil, political, economic, cultural, social and health. Article 32 states that the government should protect children from work that is dangerous or might harm their health or their education.

What are the measures taken by India?

Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 

Based on the recommendations of the Gurupadaswammy Committee (1979), the Act was passed in 1986. It has the following objectives:

• to prohibit the engagement of children in some employment.
• and to regulate the conditions of work of children in certain other employment.

Salient features:

• The Act prohibits children from working in any occupation listed in Part A of the Schedule; for example: Catering at railway establishments, construction work on the railway or anywhere near the tracks, plastics factories, automobile garages, etc.
• The act also prohibits children from working in places where certain processes are being undertaken, as listed in Part B of the Schedule; for example beedi making, tanning, soap manufacture, brick kilns, and roof tiles units, etc.
• Part III of the act outlines the conditions in which children may work in occupations/processes not listed in the schedule.
• Any person who employs any child in contravention of the provisions of section 3 of the Act is liable for punishment with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to one year or fine.

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

• The Amendment Act completely prohibits the employment of children below 14 years.
• The amendment also prohibits the employment of adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years in hazardous occupations and processes and regulates their working conditions where they are not prohibited.
• The amendment also provides stricter punishment for employers for violation of the Act and making the offence of employing any child or adolescent in contravention of the Act by an employer as cognizable.

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017

• The rules provide a broad and specific framework for prevention, prohibition, rescue, and rehabilitation of child and adolescent workers.
• It also clarifies on issues related to helping in family and family enterprises and definition of family with respect to the child.
• It states that the child shall not perform any tasks during school hours and between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• It also provides for safeguards of artists which have been permitted to work under the Act, in terms of hours of work and working conditions.
• It states that no child shall be allowed to work for more than 5 times a day, and for not more than 3 hours without rest.

National Policy on Child Labour (1987)

• It contains the action plan for tackling the problem of Child Labour.
• It focuses more on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention.
• The policy consists of three main attributes:
• Legal Action plan –Emphasis will be laid on strict and effective enforcement of legal provisions relating to a child under various Labour laws.
• Focusing on general development programmes- Utilisation of various on-going development programmes of other Ministries/Departments for the benefit of Child Labour wherever possible.
• Project-based plan of Action – Launching of projects for the welfare of working child in areas of high concentration of child labour.

National Child Labour Project Scheme

• For rehabilitation of child labour, the Government had initiated the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme.
• The NCLP Scheme seeks:
• To eliminate all forms of child labour through identification and withdrawal children from child labour and preparing them for mainstream education along with vocational training
• To contribute to the withdrawal of all adolescent workers from Hazardous Occupations / Processes and their skilling and integration in suitable occupations.
• Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System.

Pencil:  The government has launched a dedicated platform viz. pencil.gov.in to ensure effective enforcement of child labour laws and end child labour.

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and Amendment of the Act in 2006

• It includes the working child in the category of children in need of care and protection, without any limitation of age or type of occupation.
• Section 23 (cruelty to Juvenile) and Section 26 (exploitation of juvenile employee) specifically deal with child labour under children in need of care and protection.

The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009):  The Act made it mandatory for the state to ensure that all children aged six to 14 years are in school and receive free education.

Many NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, ChildFund, CARE India, Talaash Association, Child Rights and You, Global march against child labour, RIDE India, Child line, Kailash Satyarthi Children Foundation etc. have been working to eradicate child labour in India.

What are the Challenges in reducing child labour in India?

Issues with Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016:

• The list of hazardous industries has been drastically decreased, this may allow the employers in industries like chemical mixing units, cotton farms, battery recycling units, and brick kilns, etc. to employ adolescent labour, which they may even get at a much cheaper price.
• Further, the amendment allows a child to be employed in “family or family enterprises”.This raises a question over a large number of child labour in agrarian rural India where poor families are trapped in intergenerational debt-bondage.

Definitional issue:  One of the biggest challenges in eradicating child labour is the confusion around the definition of a child, in terms of age, in various laws dealing with child labour.

Lack of identification:  Age identification of children is a difficult task in India due to the lack of identification documents. Child labourers often lack school registration certificates and birth certificates, creating an easy loophole in the law to exploit. Most often the children of migrant workers working as labourers and those employed in domestic work go unreported.

Weak enforcement of law and poor governance: Weak enforcement of the law, lack of adequate deterrence and corruption is a major hurdle in eradicating child labour.

What is the way forward?

• Child labour is a vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and low wages. There should be a concerted effort towards social protection programmes and cash transfers to improve the economic situation of families and to reduce the “need” to send children to work.
• There is an urgent need to revamp educational infrastructure- to ensure access to educational institutions, improvement in quality and relevance of education
• There is a need to bring uniformity in existing Indian laws dealing with child labour. The laws must expand the definition of a child by prohibiting the employment of and ensuring free and compulsory education (RTE, Act, 2009) for children below 18 years
• There is a need to launch a national campaign to invoke public interest and large-scale awareness on the exploitation of children and the menace of child labour.
• The government should take adequate measures to raise awareness among families and communities. Parental literacy can play an important role in ensuring the rights of children are upheld.
• Elimination of child labour demands commitment from the society e.g. family, state, civil society and those who employ children in any enterprises.

GET MONTHLY COMPILATIONS

Related Posts

Child Sexual Abuse in India – The Piercing Sound of Silence

Blood Batteries- Role of EV in Child Labour

WOW this info was awesome

There was a problem reporting this post.

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

• See blocked member's posts
• Mention this member in posts

Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Child Labour in India: a Critical Legal Study

How it works

• 3 What Is Child Labour?
• 4.1 Critical Anylysis On Laws In India On Child Labour

Child labour has been prevalent in our society and across the world since ages and is a growing concern for the development around the globe. Much is taken away in the name of labour: childhood. Child labour is the denial of their childhood, their freedom and their future and their being as human being. Childhood is the foundation of a human being and hence is the foundation of future. No wonder why it should be eliminated from the roots of the society of any country.

But still it has its root since ages and couldn’t have been eradicated and is prevalent especially in the developing country.

Child labour has been a longstanding practice in India, particularly in provincial territories where all individuals from a family traditionally worked since their early age. Other factors like poverty, over-population, unemployment, social backwardness, illiteracy, lack of education facilities and poor compliance of law has been fuelling this evil in the Indian society. Notwithstanding a few enactment and legal decisions the children works proceeds without restriction in India. This in result has intruded with the privileges of the children specifically ideal to training; physical wellbeing; mental good and social advancement. This in an ultimate has brought about the obstacle in the improvement of the country. There is a need therefore to determine the reasons for child labour so as to prepare towards the absolute disallowance of the equivalent from the nation.

Child labour has been prevalent in our society and across the world since ages and is a growing concern for the development around the globe. Much is taken away in the name of labour: childhood. Childhood is the foundation of a human being and hence is the foundation of future. Childhood is the time where the best possible development and advancement of the kids in all viewpoints like rationally, physically, socially and mentally is possible by learning from their parents and environment .These children are not even able to attain that certain age where one can think of their education and they are burdened with the mundaneness of the hunger prevailing due to poverty or other reasons which has dragged them to the class of labour. In the long run child labour does not only affect the social growth but also hampers the economic development of the country. This has been a major issue especially in the developing nations and one among them is India. It is saddening that even after 72 years of independence the country census shows more than 10.2 million “economically active” children in the age group of five to fourteen years – (5.6 million boys and 4.5 million girls).

“In the recent decades India has come up with the range of laws and programmes to defeat the issue of child labour. The Indian government along with the UNICEF is working to ensure that the children are protected from the work and exploitation which is harmful to their development.”1 But it is not quite simple as India’s legal framework is drastically overpowered and seriously accumulated, and the cases of child labour can undoubtedly get lost in an outright flood.

What Is Child Labour?

Child labour is any work done by children that is dangerous, hampers their education and is harmful to their health and development. “The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, defines a child as any person who has not completed his fourteenth year of age. Part II of the act prohibits children from working in any occupation listed in Part A of the Schedule; for example: Catering at railway establishments, construction work on the railway or anywhere nears the tracks, plastics factories, automobile garages, etc. The act also prohibits children from working in places where certain processes are being undertaken, as listed in Part B of the Schedule; for example: beedi making, tanning, soap manufacture, brick kilns and roof tiles units, etc. These provisions do not apply to a workshop where the occupier is working with the help of his family or in a government recognised or aided school.”

Factors Leading To Child Labour In India

Child labour has been a longstanding practice in India, particularly in provincial territories where all individuals from a family traditionally worked since their early age. Most of the children who are working today in child labour belong to the low caste in the Indian caste driven society. So the social-cultural factor is a major factor. Most of them belong to the traditional backward class and tribes and minority communities. Another imperative social factor that causes kid work in India is the profoundly instilled social qualities that have existed for quite a long time. Regularly young ladies are let alone for measurements in regards to child labour in light of the fact that occasionally they don’t work in the formal areas of child labour, for example, industrial facilities; rather they partake in domestic sector.

Illiteracy has its paw on the prevailing system in India. The parents being illiterate deny the importance of education in the life of children. They pressurise them to rather hold a sickle instead of a pencil as they themselves have been fed by the earnings of the former. And if the government policies manage to reach a few of them then also the lack of thorough education system is pushing children out of the classrooms and into the cotton fields or agricultural sector or industries as they trust that work is a superior alternative to sustain their future.

The relationship between status as a developing nation and rates of child labour is no coincidence. There are numerous explanations behind this; we’ll begin with some monetary components. The change into a mechanical economy concentrated on worldwide markets isn’t actually a simple one, and the outcome in numerous countries has been far reaching destitution and joblessness. In countries where monetary open doors are low, numerous families have come to depend on the pay earned by their children. For these families, sending markets. The legislatures of creating countries don’t generally have settled jobs in the universal economy, which implies they don’t have a ton of additional cash. Most creating countries can just industrialize and modernize with the assistance of broad credits from outside governments or private enterprises. This implies even after the country has developed their new economy, they are profoundly in the red. As opposed to placing cash into their own economy to invigorate occupations or into social welfare projects to battle the neediness that promotes children’s work, all the country’s assets need to go toward satisfying their obligation.

While talking of many causes which are leading to the firmness of child labour in the society we cannot ignore the prevailing poverty in India. Poverty is the supreme cause of all. A country where there are issues like unemployment and over population, poverty will give birth to these inhuman issues. But it is also an eternal truth that it is not poverty which is barring children from school, our society is poor because our children are not going to school.

Critical Anylysis On Laws In India On Child Labour

In 1989, the United Nations adopted the convention on the rights of the child. This is an international agreement, recognizing the special rights of all children to be treated fairly, equally and with dignity. It recognizes that all actions concerning the children should be in the best interest of the child. It should promote their development and should give them the right to say about the matters affecting them. It gives all the children the right to food, clean water, shelter, and health care. It gives the children right to feel safe and secure as children are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect. It provides right to development for all children in terms of their education, time to play and to grow and develop in all aspects of community life. All children have the right to participate in all the decisions that affect them. This helps to protect them from abuse and exploitation. Child labour infringes on all of these rights.

“India did sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. However, the Indian government has not signed off on Convention 138 on Minimum Age and Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour which to the ILO is considered very progressive in regard to the law against child labour. The Indian government maintains due to their decentralized style of government, only the individual states in India have the constitutional power to change the law regarding the minimum age.” Authoritatively, each territory of India (India has 29 states) is in charge of authorizing child labour inside its very own borders, yet many face issues of subsidizing and organization. As a result, millions of Indian children are working illegally.

In July 2016, our government passed an amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition And Regulation) Act of 1986. The amendment proposed three major changes:

• Amendment of section 2. The “definition of the child” has been changed from below the age of 18 to below the age of 14 years. Changing the age limit and reducing it to 14 years clearly is a sign that one only wants to avoid all kinds of accountabilities. Are we just accepting that this is the way children above 14 are going to be? And is this the story that we have made for them?
• A child below 14 will not be allowed to work in any industry except when it is a family enterprise. In family enterprises, they have written ‘any businesses. Any business could mean anything. So for instance if some family is running a liquor business in their home then this becomes a family enterprise. So will we allow children to work in that?
• The list of industries that are considered harmful for an individual aged 14 to 18 have been brought down from 83 to 3. The numbers of hazardous industries have reduced which is a huge problem. As we look to the history, in the act of 1986, each time a new industries were added it was done with a lot of rationale. And now the numbers are only limited to a few hazardous industries like mining and few others. In our entire country, if we see most of the working children are working in the agricultural sector.
• Amendment of section 14. There is no rigorous punishment for the employer to stop the employment at the first place only. This section also states that there is no punishment for the parents for employing their children unless it is for the commercial purpose. So is there enough fear in the eyes of the employer before they put hands on the children?

The government passes every amendment from its side. But they might not be rid of the loopholes. Child Labour Act has been present for so many years. Even then in today’s time child labour exists in every corner in India. One of the reasons being we could go fight saying the law gave us claws basically, to fight. And now those are gone. Secondly, passing an amendment and its implementation, that is two different things. The effects of the amendment should reach the children. The benefit should reach the chchildren.

The authoritative body should make strict rules regarding checking and establish a surveillance cell for implementation of the existing policies. There is a need of advancement in the education system of the country. And as a responsible citizen we should ourselves ask a question that when was the last time we took a step to stop child labour? Because ultimately they alone are not the sufferers, the whole nation is. So we should all step together to say no to child labour.

Cite this page

Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study. (2019, Nov 19). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/

"Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study." PapersOwl.com , 19 Nov 2019, https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/ [Accessed: 14 May. 2024]

"Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study." PapersOwl.com, Nov 19, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/

"Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study," PapersOwl.com , 19-Nov-2019. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/. [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Child Labour In India: A Critical Legal Study . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/child-labour-in-india-a-critical-legal-study/ [Accessed: 14-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Child Labour In India

     “Their time is for playing And making merry in the woods, Let us join hands To reclaim their Golden childhood”!

INTRODUCTION

As, per Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group (5-14) years is 259.6 million. Out of these, 10.1 million are working [1] . This striking figure represents a gloomy picture of the “state of childhood” in India.

They work in fields, in factories making fire-crackers, bangle making, zari work, rolling bidis, carpet weaving, working in mines, as servants or maids, selling goods in the street or markets, working in dhabas, girl child labour do domestic work more such as cleaning, making food, washing, etc.

The five states which are India’s biggest child labour employers – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.  Over half of India’s total child labour population works in these states. India’s biggest hub of child labour is Uttar Pradesh and it accounts for almost 20% of India’s child labourers [2] .

But why do these children’s work? Is a question we must ponder upon.

These small children who work at an early age are forced to work, to add income to their family. Due to lack or poor employment and less income, parents often send their small children to work, to support family financially for their survival.

They work to support and feed their family. Conditions of girl child labours are even more worst. Parents often sell them in need of money, and then they are exploited by their owners both physically and mentally.

The Indian Constitution ensures the right of all children (5-14) years for free and compulsory education, it also prohibits child labour. Article 24 [3] of the Indian constitution clearly states that, “No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment, it also protects them from exploitation”.

The government even enacted the Act for their protection – the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, amended in 2016 (“CLPR Act”). It is a cognizable criminal offence to employ a child for any work (5-14) years.

Where the chronic poverty persists more, their child labours are also more in numbers. Their parent’s don’t have enough money to send their children to school; they don’t even know the benefit of education. These kids are forced to leave home early with the baggage full of responsibilities on their shoulders, rather than bag full of books.

Mostly, rural areas consists of child labour the most. Absence or poor quality of schools in these areas, compel these children to drop out and work. The girl child faces even more risk. As, per statistics, child marriages account for 27% of marriages in India [4] .

Many children today are trafficked into factories and informal workplaces. Middlemen or agent gets hefty sums for each ‘lost child’. Unfortunately, sometimes its the father himself who sells off the child. They suffer from diseases such as lung diseases, T.B., heart problems and several other disabilities, after inhaling hazardous smoke from bangle making or tobacco, bidis making factories.

“Kailash Satyarthi [5] ”, Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of the Global March against Child Labour said-“I understood through my fight against child labour in India and South Asia that it is not an isolated problem of one or another country. It has to be tackled globally. If the world can reach out to Mars, why can’t we reach out to every single child who is in danger?

The child labour law in India was amended in 2016, to prohibit all kinds of work for (5-14) years and hazardous work also. Besides, the new Anti-trafficking legislation [6] establishes a stringent framework to nab the perpetrators and rehabilitate the victims. Also, many NGO’s and private institutions like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Child Rights and You (CRY) work towards alleviating the conditions.

Government has also set-up NCPCR. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) [7] emphasizes the principle of universality and inviolability of child rights and recognizes the tone of urgency in all the child related policies of the country. For the Commission, protection of all children in the (0 to 18) years age group is of equal importance. Thus, policies define priority actions for the most vulnerable children. For the Commission, all the rights of children are equally important.

But all these efforts might not be enough. Because this problem is deeply rooted in our society, temporary measures cannot be a long-term solutions. This heart wrenching reality has consequences on various walks of life. The psychological or physical trauma which child faces is indescribable. This child labour deprives them of equal opportunities to lead a better life like other children. This is totally violation of human right of these innocent children.

Now, it is high time for all of us to realize that if poor people send their children to work then why they are so, much compel to this? We should think about it. Our duty is not only to protect the child but also to think about such measures which can remove the poverty of these poor people. More emphasis should be given to family planning, spreading of education about it, because people with more number of kids, are more prone to send their small children to work.

The factories which employ these small children must be severely fined and punished. This child labour is depriving small children of their best childhood days. Active participation from all is needed to remove this child labour.

International Labour Organization (ILO) [8]

International Labour Organization is a United Nations  agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work by setting  international labour standards . It was the first specialized agency of the UN. The ILO has 187 member states. It was formed in 1919.

On 12th June, 2019 the International Labour Organization celebrated 100 years of advancing social justice and promoting decent work. Even today, 152 million children are still in child labour. Child labour occurs in almost all sectors, yet 7 out of every 10 of these children are working in agriculture. On this World Day against Child Labour will look back on the progress which is achieved over a 100 years of ILO supporting to countries on tackling child labour. We will also look forward towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 set by the international community calling for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025.

“It is the exploitation of childhood which constitutes the evil most unbearable to the human heart. Serious work in social legislation begins always with the protection of children.”  – Albert Thomas, the first ILO Director [9] .

Childhood is the period where a child learns about life and how to tackle with it from parents, but what if when their parents only push them in this world of ‘CHILD LABOUR’? Child labour interferes with the proper growth and development of a child. It is the birthright of every child to get all the basic facilities but certain circumstances forces them to become a child labour. Due to this they miss the most happiest and memorable days of their life. It has become the biggest social issue in India. In many developing countries child labour is becoming popular.

The issue of child labour has now been an international concern as it highly involved in inhibiting the growth and development of the country. Healthy children are the bright future and power of any country thus child labour is damaging, spoiling and destroying the future of the children and finally the country [10] .

CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR [11]

Poverty and high level of unemployment in developing countries are the main reason of child labour, Lack of access to regular education in many countries, Violating laws regarding child labour, Small children get involved in the child labour in order to increase the income of their family to manage two times food, They are hired by the industries to get more work at reduced labour cost, etc.

SOLUTIONS TO CHILD LABOUR [12]

Creating more unions, Child labour needs high level of social awareness, Family control will also help in controlling the child labour,  need of more effective and strict government laws against child labour in order to prevent children from working in their little age, Child trafficking should be completely abolished, Child workers should be replaced by the adult workers, Business owners of factories, industries, mines, etc should take the pledge of not involving children in any type of labour, etc.

Children are Nation’s valuable resources. The future of the Nation depends on how a child is growing and developing. The great poet Milton said “Child Shows the man as morning shows the day”. It is the duty of society and its people to look after this problem and put some input to remove it. Children are the future custodians; they will become teachers, scientists, judges, doctors, engineers, politicians, etc. on whom the entire country will depend but instead of getting proper education these children are deprived of it and get stuck in this child labour, which gets difficult for them to come out of it.

The concept of child labour in India is very complex and difficult to understand. It is a complex economic problem. It is really depressing to see these small children working and going through pain in each and every step of their life. Harsh reality of our society, difficult to curb the menace of it. It is observed that the problem of child labour is global phenomenon which is found in both developed and developing nations [13] .

We don’t know how difficult it is for them to go through all these things in their life, because we are living a good and healthy life. Those who go through pain only they can understand the true meaning of life and how to survive with minimum things. After implementing so many laws, legislations, policies still children are working in factories and shops, working in marriages washing utensils or serving food.

Do we ever realize that although indirectly but we are also ignoring them, even after seeing these children working at these places we don’t take any action, why ? Because they are not part of our family or our own children. Bitter truth of the society. They are not related to us by blood so; we don’t even care about it. We are humans but we don’t understand the pain of other humans. This means humans are enemies of other humans. This has a negative impact on the society. At this juncture, we must think, have we taken any steps to tackle child labour? This is a harsh truth, think on.

“I am the child. All the world waits for my coming. All the earth watches with interest to see what I shall become. Civilization hangs in the balance. For what I am, the world of tomorrow will be. I am the child. You hold in your hand my destiny. You determine, largely, whether I shall succeed or fail. Give me, I beg you, that I may be a blessing to the world”. – “Mamie Gene Cole [14] ”

[1] FACT SHEET: CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA, https://www.ilo.org/newdelhi/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_557089/lang–en/index.htm

[2] STATISTICS OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA STATE WISE,(MAY,04,2016), https://www.savethechildren.in/articles/statistics-of-child-labour-in-india-state-wise

[3] DD BASU, INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, Pg- 130, 22nd EDITION

[4] VAGESHWARI DESWAL, LEGAL STATUS OF CHILD MARRIAGES IN INDIA,(JAN.,24,2019,7:33P.M. IST), https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/legally-speaking/legal-status-of-child-marriages-in-india/

[5] B-ROLL: KAILASH SATYARTHI- IF THE WORLD CAN REACH OUT TO MARS, WHY CAN’T WE REACH OUT TO EVERY CHILD WHO IS IN DANGER?, (JUNE, 12,2018), https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/multimedia/video/b-rolls/WCMS_632266/lang–en/index.htm

[6] THE TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS(PREVENTION,PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION) BILL, 2018, https://www.prsindia.org/billtrack/trafficking-persons-prevention-protection-and-rehabilitation-bill-2018

[7] NCPCR, http://vikaspedia.in/education/child-rights/national-commission-for-protection-of-child-rights-ncpcr

[8]   ADVANCING SOCIAL JUSTICE, PROMOTING DECENT WORK , https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/lang–en/index.htm

[9] WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR 2019: CHILDREN SHOULDN’T WORK IN FIELDS, BUT ON DREAMS !, https://www.ilo.org/ipec/Campaignandadvocacy/wdacl/lang–en/index.htm

[10] LONG AND SHORT ESSAY ON CHILD LABOUR IN ENGLISH, https://www.indiacelebrating.com/essay/child-labour-essay/

[11] LONG AND SHORT ESSAY ON CHILD LABOUR IN ENGLISH, https://www.indiacelebrating.com/essay/child-labour-essay/

[12] LONG AND SHORT ESSAY ON CHILD LABOUR IN ENGLISH, https://www.indiacelebrating.com/essay/child-labour-essay/

[13] https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/8530/19/19_chapter%2011.pdf

[14] https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/8530/19/19_chapter%2011.pdf.

This article is authored by Aditi Dhamdhere, student of BA LL.B at Modern Law College, Pune University.

Also Read – Right Against Exploitation Under The Constitution Of India

Share This Post

Related posts.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

• IAS Preparation
• UPSC Preparation Strategy
• Death Of Innocent Child Labour

Child Labour In India - UPSC Essay Preparation For IAS Exam

Child labour essay for upsc.

“LET EVERY CHILD BE FREE TO BE A CHILD.” – KAILASH SATYARTHI

Yes indeed. This holds true for many of us who have lived our innocence. However, this isn’t the reality for the ‘not so privileged’.

Child Labour is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. 

In India, child labour has been one of the biggest concerns for the authorities to overcome. In this article, we shall discuss the causes and effects of child labour in the country. This is an important topic from the IAS Exam perspective. 

Child Labour in India

As per a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in India, there are 10.1 million working children between the age of 5 to 14 years. This data was based on the Census of 2011. 

As per Census 2011, the total child population in India in the age group (5-14) years is 259.6 million. Of these, 10.1 million (3.9% of total child population) are working, either as ‘main worker’ or as ‘marginal worker’. In addition, more than 42.7 million children in India are out of school. 

However, there has been a decline of 2.6 million children affected by child labour between the Census 2001 and 2011. Given below are the statistics for the same:

As per the Census of 2011, there are five major states in India that constitute 55% of the total number of child labour in the country. Refer to the table below:

To know in detail about the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) , a United Nations agency that provides developmental and humanitarian aid to children worldwide, candidates can visit the linked article. 

The definition of Child Labour must be seen in line with the different categories of the same instead of using it in a sweeping manner:

• Child Labour: Those children who are doing paid or unpaid work in factories, workshops, establishments, mines and in the service sector such as domestic labour.
• Street Children: Children living on and off the streets, such as shoeshine boys, ragpickers, newspaper-vendors, beggars, etc.
• Bonded Children: Children who have either been pledged by their parents for paltry sums of money or those working to pay off the inherited debts of their fathers.
• Working Children: Children who are working as part of family labour in agriculture and in home-based work.
• Children used for sexual exploitation: Many thousands of young girls and boys serve the sexual appetites of men from all social and economic backgrounds. Direct links between the commercial sexual exploitation of children and other forms of exploitative child labour are numerous.
• Migrant children: India faces a huge challenge with “distress seasonal migration”. At worksites, migrant children are inevitably put to work. All evidence indicates that migrations are large and growing. The number of children below 14 years of age thus affected.
• Children engaged in household activities: Apart from children who are employed for wages (either bonded or otherwise) as domestic help, there are a large number of children (especially girls) who are working in their own houses, engaged in what is not normally seen as “economic activity”. These children are engaged in taking care of younger siblings, cooking, cleaning and other such household activities. Further, if such children are not sent to school, they will eventually join the labour force as one of the above categories of child labour.

Also, refer to the following links for UPSC preparation:

Causes of Child Labour in India

Discussed below are the main causes of child labour in India:

• Over Population – The population of the country is more in comparison to the job opportunities available
• Illiteracy – This is one of the biggest causes. If a child is unable to gain education due to financial or social reasons, he/she is more likely to opt for working at wages and helping the family
• Poverty – To overcome the financial crisis and poverty, parents are forced to make their children work for money
• Urbanization is another cause
• Orphans – New provisions should be made by the authorities for orphans so that they can be educated and avoid working at a young age for their own livelihood and survival
• Adult unemployment – Until the adults are not employed, they cannot educate their offsprings which ultimately leads to child labour
• Debt trap – In cases, a financial backlog or debt also is a reason which leads to child labour
• Cheap labour – The labour salary is minimal, thus, to increase the family income, they are forced to let their children work

If the above-mentioned points are taken care of by the concerned authorities, child labour iin India can be reduced. 

Acts for Children Welfare in India

Child labour is a matter on which both the Union Government and state governments can legislate. A number of legislative initiatives have been undertaken at both levels. The major national legislative developments include the following:

• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
• Factories Act, 1948
• Mines Act, 1952
• Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000
• Right to Education Act, 2009
• National Child Labour Programme, 1988
• Article 24 of the Indian Constitution

There are a few Non-Government Organisations like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, CRY, Pratham, etc., which also work for the welfare of the country. 

World Day against Child Labour 

World Day Against Child Labour was introduced in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation. It is celebrated on June 12th every year across the world. 

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the day was celebrated via a virtual campaign that was organised jointly by the Global March Against Child Labour and the International Partnership for Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture (IPCCLA). The theme for 2020 was “Protect children from child labour, now more than ever” .

Although India has shown improvement in the statistics from the 2001 Census, yet there is a long way that needs to be travelled to completely eradicate child labour from the country. 

The Government must enforce stricter laws and punishment against child labour and primary education must be made free for all so that no one is deprived of education and knowledge. 

CSE aspirants can refer to the UPSC Syllabus at the linked article and accordingly start their preparation for the upcoming recruitment.

For any further exam updates, study material or preparation strategy, candidates can turn to BYJU’S for assistance. 

Frequently Asked Questions on Child Labour in India

Q 1. what is the age for child labour in india, q 2. what are the causes of child labour.

Ans. There are many factors that lead to child labour in India. Given below are a few:

• Lower Labour Pay Scale for Adults

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

IAS 2024 - Your dream can come true!

Download the ultimate guide to upsc cse preparation.

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Child Labour in India: An In-Depth Analysis of a Persistent Social Issue

Relevant for UPSC Mains GS 2 – Social Justice

Introduction: Child labour is a pressing social issue in India, with millions of children engaged in work that deprives them of their childhood, education, and future prospects. Despite legal frameworks and numerous initiatives to eradicate child labour, the problem persists, with children working in various sectors, often in hazardous conditions. In this comprehensive blog, we will explore the issue of child labour in India, examining its causes, consequences, and potential solutions to this deeply rooted problem.

• Understanding Child Labour in India: Child labour refers to the employment of children below the legal age, in activities that are mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), child labour is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. In India, child labour is widespread across various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and the informal sector. Children often work long hours in hazardous environments, with little or no access to education, healthcare, or basic rights.
• Poverty: Poverty is the primary driving force behind child labour in India. Families living in poverty often rely on the income generated by their children to meet basic needs, forcing children to work instead of attending school.
• Lack of Access to Quality Education: Inadequate access to quality education, particularly in rural areas, leads many children to drop out of school and enter the workforce. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure, resources, and trained teachers in many schools contributes to poor learning outcomes, further discouraging children from continuing their education.
• Social and Cultural Factors: Traditional beliefs, social norms, and cultural practices often perpetuate child labour in India. In some communities, child labour is considered a part of the social fabric, with children expected to contribute to their family’s income or learn a trade from an early age.
• Ineffective Legal Framework and Implementation: Although India has a legal framework in place to combat child labour, implementation and enforcement of these laws are often weak. Corruption, lack of resources, and inadequate monitoring systems contribute to the limited effectiveness of existing laws and policies.
• Impact on Child Development: Child labour has a profound impact on a child’s physical, mental, and emotional development. Long hours of work in hazardous conditions can lead to injuries, chronic health issues, and psychological trauma.
• Loss of Education and Future Opportunities: Children engaged in labour often miss out on education, limiting their future opportunities and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Lack of education also hinders their ability to contribute to the nation’s development in the long run.
• Perpetuation of Poverty and Inequality: Child labour contributes to the perpetuation of poverty and inequality in society, as children who work instead of attending school are more likely to remain trapped in a cycle of poverty throughout their lives.
• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016: This Act prohibits the employment of children below 14 years of age in all occupations and processes, with certain exceptions for family enterprises and child artists. The Act also regulates the working conditions of adolescent workers (aged 14-18) and prohibits their employment in hazardous occupations and processes.
• The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009: The RTE Act guarantees free and compulsory education for all children aged 6-14 in India, ensuring that every child has access to quality education, which is crucial in preventing child labour.
• National Child Labour Project (NCLP): The NCLP is a government initiative aimed at rehabilitating child labourers through the provision of education, vocational training, and healthcare. The project also raises awareness about child labour and its adverse effects on children, families, and society.
• Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): The ICPS is a comprehensive scheme aimed at creating a safe and protective environment for children through the establishment of child protection services at national, state, and district levels.
• Poverty Alleviation: Tackling the root cause of child labour – poverty – is essential in the fight against child labour. Implementing policies and programs aimed at poverty alleviation, such as income-generation schemes, skill development initiatives, and social security measures, can help reduce the reliance on child labour for family income.
• Ensuring Access to Quality Education: Improving access to quality education, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, can help prevent child labour. Investments in school infrastructure, teacher training, and the development of contextually relevant curricula can improve learning outcomes and encourage children to stay in school.
• Strengthening Legal Framework and Enforcement: Enhancing the effectiveness of existing laws and policies is critical in the fight against child labour. This can be achieved through better monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, increased resources for inspections and prosecutions, and the establishment of dedicated child labour courts.
• Collaboration between Stakeholders: Combating child labour requires a coordinated effort among various stakeholders, including the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and local communities. Collaborative initiatives, such as public-private partnerships and community-based programs, can help pool resources and expertise to address the issue more effectively.
• Raising Awareness and Advocacy: Raising awareness about the adverse effects of child labour and promoting a change in societal attitudes towards the issue is crucial. Advocacy campaigns, community mobilization efforts, and engagement with the media can help challenge prevailing norms and practices that perpetuate child labour.

Conclusion: Child labour in India is a deeply entrenched social issue, with its roots in poverty, lack of access to quality education, social and cultural factors, and ineffective legal frameworks. Addressing the problem requires a multi-faceted approach, involving various stakeholders and focusing on strategies that tackle the root causes of child labour. With concerted efforts and collaboration, it is possible to eradicate child labour in India, ensuring a brighter future for millions of children who are currently deprived of their basic rights and opportunities.

One comment

• Pingback: Child labour menace in India| #1 Best Sociology Optional Coaching

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• भाषा : हिंदी
• Classroom Courses
• Our Selections
• Student Login
• About NEXT IAS
• Director’s Desk
• Advisory Panel
• Faculty Panel
• General Studies Courses
• Optional Courses
• Interview Guidance Program
• Postal Courses
• Test Series
• Current Affairs
• Student Portal

• Pre Cum Mains Foundation Courses
• GS + CSAT Pre cum Main Foundation Course
• GS Pre cum Main Foundation Course
• GS + CSAT + Optional
• GS + Optional
• Prelims Courses
• Current Affairs Course for CSE 2025
• CSAT Course
• Current Affairs for Prelims (CAP)-2024
• Mains Courses
• Mains Advance Course (MAC)
• Essay Course Cum Test Series
• First Step — NCERT Based Course
• Optional Foundation Courses
• Mathematics
• Anthropology
• Political Science and International Relations (PSIR)
• Optional Advance Courses (Optional Through Questions)
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Interview Guidance Programme / Personality Test Training Program
• GS + CSAT Postal Courses
• Current Affairs Magazine – Annual Subscription
• GS+CSAT Postal Study Course
• First Step Postal Course
• Postal Study Course for Optional Subjects
• Prelims Test Series for CSE 2024 (Offline/Online)
• General Studies
• GS Mains Test Series for CSE 2024
• Mains Test Series (Optional)
• Paarth PSIR
• PSIR Answer Writing Program
• PSIR PRO Plus Test Series
• Mathematics Year Long Test Series (MYTS) 2024
• Indian Economic Services
• Anubhav (All India Open Mock Test)
• Prelims (GS + CSAT)
• Headlines of the Day
• Daily Current Affairs
• Editorial Analysis
• Monthly MCQ Compilation
• Monthly Current Affairs Magazine
• Previous Year Papers
• Down to Earth
• Kurukshetra
• Union Budget
• Economic Survey
• NIOS Study Material
• Beyond Classroom
• Social Justice

Child Labour in India: Causes, Consequences and Solutions

Child Labour means when children are made to work in a way that takes away their childhood, potential, and self-respect.

• It includes work that is dangerous or harmful to children’s physical, mental, social, or moral well-being.
• It also includes work that stops them from going to school, either by not allowing them to attend or by forcing them to leave early.

Whether a particular type of work is considered child Labour depends on factors like the child’s age, the kind and hours of work, the conditions in which it takes place, and the rules set by each country. The definition may vary from country to country and even within different industries within a country.

Facts and Statistics of Child Labour in India

• Total child population (5-14 years) in India: 259.6 million (Census 2011).
• Working children in India: 10.1 million (3.9% of the total child population) as “main workers” or “marginal workers.”
• Out-of-school children in India: more than 42.7 million.
• Child Labour decreased in India by 2.6 million between 2001 and 2011.
• The decline is more visible in rural areas, while the number of child workers increased in urban areas, indicating a growing demand for child workers in menial jobs.

Causes of Child Labour

There are many other factors that contribute to the problem, such as social norms, cultural beliefs, and discrimination.

Consequences of Child Labour

The consequences faced have a far-reaching impact on the child, society, and the nation as a whole:

Solutions to the Issue of Child Labour in India

Addressing the issue of child Labour in India requires a comprehensive approach involving various stakeholders.

• Strengthening Legislative Framework: Enforce and strengthen existing laws, such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, to ensure comprehensive protection for children and stricter penalties for offenders. Amendments should align with international standards.
• Access to Quality Education: Ensure universal access to free and quality education for all children. Implement and enforce the Right to Education Act, focusing on reducing dropout rates and increasing enrollment in schools.
• Poverty Alleviation: Tackle the root causes of child Labour by implementing poverty alleviation programs, providing economic support to families living in poverty, and promoting livelihood opportunities for parents.
• Awareness and Sensitization: Conduct widespread awareness campaigns targeting parents, communities, and employers about the detrimental effects of child Labour on children’s physical, mental, and educational development.
• Rehabilitation and Social Protection: Develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for rescued child laborers, including access to education, vocational training, healthcare, and psychological support. Establish social protection schemes for vulnerable families to prevent children from entering the Labour force.
• International Cooperation: Collaborate with international organizations, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, to access expertise, technical assistance, and financial resources to combat child Labour effectively.
• Empowering Local Communities: Involve local communities, including parents, teachers, and community leaders, in preventing child Labour. Empower them to identify and report cases of child Labour and provide support for rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.

It is important to recognize that addressing child Labour is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires sustained efforts, collaboration, and the commitment of all stakeholders to create lasting change.

Addressing and eliminating child Labour is crucial for the well-being of children, the progress of society, and the sustainable development of a nation. It requires concerted efforts, comprehensive policies, and the active involvement of various stakeholders to ensure the protection of children’s rights and their holistic development.

How Many Children are Presently Working as Labour in India?

There are around 10.1 million (3.9% of the total child population) as “main workers” or “marginal workers.”

What is the Major Reason for Child Labour in India?

The major reason for child Labour in India is poverty. Families living in poverty often resort to child Labour as a means of survival, as children can be paid less and are more vulnerable to exploitation.

What are the 10 Causes of Child Labour?

The 10 causes of child Labour include poverty, lack of access to education, limited enforcement of child Labour laws, cultural attitudes and norms, armed conflict, discrimination, inadequate social protection, migration, globalization, and demand for cheap Labour.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

International women’s day 2024: history, theme, celebrations & significance, child trafficking in india: facts, causes, global initiatives, indian laws and solutions, food security in india: challenges and opportunities, anti-conversion laws: issue, controversy & criticism, leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Featured Post

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts

Written by Romita Saluja and read by Avita Jay. Produced by Nicola Alexandrou . The executive producer was Ellie Bury

Mon 6 May 2024 05.00 BST Last modified on Thu 9 May 2024 13.52 BST

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email

Despite promises of reform, exploitation remains endemic in India’s sandstone industry, with children doing dangerous work for low pay – often to decorate driveways and gardens thousands of miles away. By Romita Saluja

How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know

• Read the text version here

The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work.

• Child labour
• The Audio Long Read
• Human trafficking

Most popular