CONTENTS Introduction Categories of child labour Child labour in India Basic reasons for child labour Consequences of child labour Some facts about child labour Child labour in Statistics Child labour laws in India (legal) Child labour: STILL A BIG CHALLENGE Conclusion

Child labour is the practice of having

children engage in economic activity, on part

or full-time basis. The practice deprives

children of their childhood, and is harmful to

their physical and mental development.

Poverty, lack of good schools and growth of

informal economy are considered as the

important causes of child labour in India.

INTRODUCTION

Harvesting rice

Poverty and Hazardous Child Labour: A Vicious Circle

Preparing tobacco leaves

According to the Census 2001 figures there are 1.26

crore working children in the age group of 5-14 as

compared to the total child population of 25.2 crore.

There are approximately 12 lacs children working in the

hazardous occupations/processes which are covered

under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act

i.e. 18 occupations and 65 processes. However, as per

survey conducted by National Sample Survey

Organization (NSSO) in 2004-05, the number of

working children is estimated at 90.75 lakh. It shows

that the efforts of the Government have borne the

desired fruits.

CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

Metal

worke

r

CAUSES

PRIMARY CAUSES CULTURAL CAUSESMACROECONOMIC CAUSES

PRIMARY CAUSES

International Labour Organization (ILO) suggests

poverty is the greatest single cause behind child

labour. For impoverished households, income

from a child's work is usually crucial for his or her

own survival or for that of the household. Income

from working children, even if small, may be

between 25 to 40% of these household income.

Other scholars such as Harsch on African child

labour, and Edmonds and Pavcnik on global child

labour have reached the same conclusion.

CULTURAL CAUSESIn European history when child labour was common, as well as

in contemporary child labour of modern world, certain cultural

beliefs have rationalized child labour and thereby encouraged

it. Some view that work is good for the character-building and

skill development of children. In many cultures, particular

where informal economy and small household businesses

thrive, the cultural tradition is that children follow in their

parents' footsteps; child labour then is a means to learn and

practice that trade from a very early age. Similarly, in many

cultures the education of girls is less valued or girls are simply

not expected to need formal schooling, and these girls pushed

into child labour such as providing domestic services.

MACROECONOMIC CAUSESBiggeri and Mehrotra have studied the macroeconomic factors that

encourage child labour. They focus their study on five Asian nations

including India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. They

suggest that child labour is a serious problem in all five, but it is not a

new problem. Macroeconomic causes encouraged widespread child

labour across the world, over most of human history. They suggest that

the causes for child labour include both the demand and the supply side.

While poverty and unavailability of good schools explain the child labour

supply side, they suggest that the growth of low paying informal

economy rather than higher paying formal economy is amongst the

causes of the demand side. Other scholars too suggest that inflexible

labour market, size of informal economy, inability of industries to scale

up and lack of modern manufacturing technologies are major

macroeconomic factors affecting demand and acceptability of child

labour.

Electroplat

e worker

Consequences of child labourThe presence of a large number of child laborers is regarded as

a serious issue in terms of economic welfare. Children who

work fail to get necessary education. They do not get the

opportunity to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally

and psychologically. In terms of the physical condition of

children, children are not ready for long monotous work

because they become exhausted more quickly than adults. This

reduces their physical conditions and makes the children more

vulnerable to disease. Children in hazardous working

conditions are even in worse condition. Children who work,

instead of going to school, will remain illiterate which limits

their ability to contribute to their own well being as well as to

community they live in. Child labour has long term adverse

effects for India.

Stitching soccer balls

SOME FACTS ABOUT CHILD LABOUR

According to the Indian census of 1991, there are 11.28 million workingchildren under the age if fourteen years in India. Over 85% of this child labour is in the country’s rural areas, working inagricultural activities such as farming, livestock, rearing, forestry andfisheries. The world’s highest number of working children is in India. ILOestimates that 218 million children were involved in child labour in 2004,of which 126 million were engaged in hazardous work. The Hindi belt, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UttarPradesh, account for 1.27 crore working children in the country, engaged inboth hazardous and non-hazardous occupations and processes. Over 19 lakh children labourers in the 5-14 age group are in UttarPradesh. Rajasthan accounts for over 12.6 lakh workers followed by Biharwith over 11 lakh and Madhya Pradesh with 10.6 lakh. However, according to the 2001 census, Andhra Pradesh with 13.6 lakhchild labour stands second in the national lust after UP.

A child

repairing tyres

Where does most child labour occur?

Child labour laws & initiatives

After its independence from colonial rule, India has passed anumber of constitutional protections and laws on child labour.The Constitution of India in the Fundamental Rights and theDirective of State Policy prohibits child labour below the age of14 years in any factory or mine or castle or engaged in anyother hazardous employment (Article 24). The constitution alsoenvisioned that India shall, by 1960, provide infrastructureand resources for free and compulsory education to all childrenof the age six to 14 years. (Article 21-A and Article 45).

The major national legislative developments include thefollowing:

The Factories Act of 1948: The Act prohibits the employment of children below theage of 14 years in any factory. The law also placed rules on who, when and how longcan pre-adults aged 15–18 years be employed in any factory.

The Mines Act of 1952: The Act prohibits the employment of children below 18years of age in a mine.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986: The Act prohibits theemployment of children below the age of 14 years in hazardous occupationsidentified in a list by the law. The list was expanded in 2006, and again in 2008.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act of 2000: This law made ita crime, punishable with a prison term, for anyone to procure or employ a child inany hazardous employment or in bondage.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009: The lawmandates free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years. Thislegislation also mandated that 25 percent of seats in every private school must beallocated for children from disadvantaged groups and physically challenged children.

In 1979, the Indian government formed theGurupadswamy Committee to find about child labourand means to tackle it. The Child Labour Prohibitionand Regulation Act was not enacted based on therecommendations of the committee in 1986.[citationneeded] A National Policy on Child Labour wasformulated in 1987 to focus on rehabilitating childrenworking in hazardous occupations.[73] The Ministryof Labour and Employment had implemented around100 industry-specific National Child Labour Projectsto rehabilitate the child workers since 1988.

Initiatives against child

labour

Non-governmental

organizationsMany NGOs like Bachpan Bachao Andolan, CARE India, ChildRights and You, Global march against child labour, RIDE India etc.have been working to eradicate child labour in India.

Pratham is India's largest non-governmental organization withthe mission 'every child in school and learning well.' Founded in1994, Pratham has aimed to reduce child labour and offerschooling to children irrespective of their gender, religion andsocial background. It has grown by introducing low costeducation models that are sustainable and reproducible.

Child labour has also been a subject of public interest litigationsin Indian courts.

CHILD LABOUR: STILL A BIG

CHALLENGE

Despite a law in force in India, prohibiting child labour, millions

of children to be employed in homes, at roadside restaurants and

in factories across the country. These young kids are also

subjected to exploitation in various other ways, including sexual

and mental abuse.

With June 12 being observed as anti- child labour day, activists

alleged that lack of

enforcement of the Child Labour Act and no rehabilitation has

been fueling child labour.

Forward Steps :The ideal scenario on Child Welfare would be when every child enjoys thefullness of childhood through education, recreation and adequate healthfacilities. It is impossible to attain these facilities by the child labour. All thechildren were able to enjoy the completeness of childhood only :

When the true conscience of the nation is awakened.

When all the policy makers and the bureaucrats take the issue of childlabour seriously and commit themselves to the cause of the holisticdevelopment of every child in India.

When the employees would not even contemplate the idea ofemploying a child for any work which might deny the child of a normalchildhood.

When all Policies laid down by the Government under various Plans andLaws were implemented properly.

What ‘We’ can do as a person to stop child labour?

• To donate funds in NGOs working for the rehabilitation of street children.

• To contact NGOs and make them aware about child labour happening in our society.

• To make the rural people aware about the benefits of education.

• To provide free education for the orphans.

• To start campaign against child labour.

• To help the government to stop child labour.

SAYNO TO

CHILD LABOUR

ConclusionThe problem of child labour continues to pose a challenge beforethe nation. Government has been taking various pro-activemeasures to tackle this problem. However, considering themagnitude and extent of the problem and that it is essentially asocio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty andilliteracy, it requires concerted efforts from all society to make adent in the problem.

The social evil of child labour can be brought under control, ifeach individual takes responsibility of prevailing child labour. Eachand every citizen should be aware of their responsibilities andshould take corrective measures to stop child labour, so that wecan have a better and developed India. Child labour can becontrolled if the government functions effectively with thesupport of the public.

NAME: PRITAM PALCLASS: IX-CROLL NO. 43SUBMITTED TO: SUMAN MAM