CHILD LABOUR - A BANE

“INDIA is the largest child labor force market in the world. The problem of child labor in INDIA is of colossal proportions. The notion that children are being exploited and forced into Labour, while not receiving education crucial to development, concerns many people. INDIA is the largest example plagued by the problem of child labor.”

The problem of child labor exploitation is a major challenge to the progress of developing countries. Children work at cost of their right to education which them permanently trapped in the Poverty cycle, without the education and literacy required for better - paying jobs. This is particularly serious in INDIA as it tops the list with the highest numbers of child labor in the world. The 2001 national census of INDIA estimated the total numbers of child   labor, aged 5-14 to be at 12.6 million.

Child labor is estimated to be as large as 60 million in INDIA, as many children are ‘hidden workers’ working in homes or in the underground economy.

INDIA as the highest number of laborers in the world under 14 years of age .Though the constitution of INDIA guarantees free and compulsory education to children between the age of 6 to 14 and prohibits employment of children younger than 14 in any hazardous environment, child labor is prevalent in almost all informal sectors of the INDIAN economy.

 A study conducted by the ILO Bureau of statistics found that “Children’s work was considered essential in maintaining the economic level of households, either in the form of work of wages, of help in household enterprises or of household chores in order to free the adult household members for economic activity elsewhere”. In some cases, the study found that a child’s income accounted for between 34 and 37% of the total household income. This study concludes that a child laborer’s income is important to the livelihood of a poor family.

INDIA needs to address the problem by tackling the underlying causes of child labor though governmental policies and with the coordination and cooperation of the NGOs and the enforcement of these policies honestly in true spirit. Without wiping out the causes permanently, we cannot handle the typical problem of child labor. He half hearted measures are not sufficient. If we could handle poverty, child labor will automatically say good bye to INDIA.