{"id":2178,"date":"2024-03-21T18:24:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T12:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/?p=2178"},"modified":"2025-01-18T14:00:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-18T08:30:43","slug":"child-labor-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Labour in India: Definition, Causes, Acts, Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Child labour is exploiting children by giving them any form of work that deprives them of their childhood and<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> education<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Child labor is very harmful to a child&#8217;s mental, physical, social, and moral development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem of child labor is not new to<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or worldwide, In the census of 2011, the total number of child labor between the age group 5-14 were 10.1 million out of total 259.64 million children in India. Child labor is not only an Indian problem around 217 million children work as child labor worldwide and many of them worked as full-time laborers. According to the world bank, Child labor has been decreased to 10% from 25% between year 1960 and 2003. The UNICEF and ILO concluded that about 168 million children work as child labor between the age groups 5-17 in 2003.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#What_is_Child_Labour\" >What is Child Labour?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#Definition_of_Child_Labour_by_UNICEF\" >Definition of Child Labour by UNICEF<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#What_is_Child_Labour_in_India\" >What is Child Labour in India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#Acts_Made_by_the_Government_to_Fight_Against_Child_Labor_in_India\" >Acts Made by the Government to Fight Against Child Labor in India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#1_Factories_Act_1948\" >1. Factories Act, 1948<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#2_Mines_act_1952\" >2. Mines act 1952<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#3_Child_and_Adolescent_labor_prohibition_and_regulation_Act_1986\" >3. Child and Adolescent labor (prohibition and regulation) Act 1986<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#4_Juvenile_Justice_care_and_protection_of_children_act_2015\" >4. Juvenile Justice (care and protection) of children act 2015<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#5_Right_to_free_and_compulsory_education_act_2009\" >5. Right to free and compulsory education act 2009<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#Causes_of_Child_Labor_in_India\" >Causes of Child Labor in India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#1_Poverty_and_Unemployment\" >1. Poverty and Unemployment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#2_Education_is_Expensive\" >2. Education is Expensive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#3_The_existing_policies_and_laws_are_often_violated\" >3. The existing policies and laws are often violated<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#4_Lack_of_awareness\" >4. Lack of awareness<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#Facts_About_Child_Labor_in_India\" >Facts About Child Labor in India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/#Frequently_Asked_Question_on_Child_Labour\" >Frequently Asked Question on Child Labour<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Child_Labour\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Child Labour?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Child and Adolescent labor (prohibition and regulation), Act 1986 which was amended in 2016 gave the clear definition of the child that any person below the age of 14 years is defined as a child, and child labor is a way of exploitation of these children by giving them work that deprives them of their childhood, dignity and potential and harms their physically and mentally. When the work hinders their schooling or forces them to leave schooling early or they are forced to work for long hours along with schooling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Definition_of_Child_Labour_by_UNICEF\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Definition of Child Labour by UNICEF<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UNICEF<\/a> the activities given to children between 5 to 11 years of age are considered as child labor if he or she works at least 28 hours in a week. In the case of children between 12 to 14 years o0f age, 14 hours of economic activity or 42 domestic activity along with economic activity per week is considered as child labor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Child_Labour_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Child Labour in India?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children between the age of 14-18 are termed as &#8216;Adolescents&#8217;. These groups are allowed to work but not in hazardous surroundings like mining, explosive-related work as per the Factories act 1948.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2001 it was estimated that approximately 1% ( 120,000 approx.) of all child labor works in a hazardous environment. As per the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/constitution-of-India.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> constitution of India<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> article 24 child labor is prohibited in a hazardous environment.\u00a0 In the census 2001, child labor was defined as the physical or mental involvement of children below 17 years of age into the economically productive sectors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian government has categorized child labor into 2 groups:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Main workers (children involved in labor for 6 months or more per year)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marginal workers (children involved in labor for less than 6 months per year)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Acts_Made_by_the_Government_to_Fight_Against_Child_Labor_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acts Made by the Government to Fight Against Child Labor in India<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As child labor is a serious issue in India and many children are victimized, the government has taken many initiatives to fight against this national hazard. These acts have resulted in reducing child labor to a great extent. Let&#8217;s have a look at them:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Factories_Act_1948\"><\/span>1. Factories Act, 1948<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/labour.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/factories_act_1948.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">factories act, 1948<\/a> bans the working of children below the age of 14 years in any factory. It also gave a clear understanding that who, when, and for how long the adolescents of age 15-18 can be employed in a factory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Mines_act_1952\"><\/span>2. Mines act 1952<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/labour.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/theminesact1952.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">mines act, 1952<\/a> banned the working of the child below the age of 18 years in any mine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Child_and_Adolescent_labor_prohibition_and_regulation_Act_1986\"><\/span>3. Child and Adolescent labor (prohibition and regulation) Act 1986<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/labour.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/act_2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The child and adolescent labour act, 1986<\/a> states that working of any child below the age of 14 years is prohibited and it also states that children between the age of 14-18 are allowed to work but not in hazardous environments like mining.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Juvenile_Justice_care_and_protection_of_children_act_2015\"><\/span>4. Juvenile Justice (care and protection) of children act 2015<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It makes the bondage of a child for an economical activity completely prohibited and can lead to imprisonment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Right_to_free_and_compulsory_education_act_2009\"><\/span>5. Right to free and compulsory education act 2009<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This act made child education free and compulsory between the ages 6-14 Years. This act also states that 25% of the seats in any private educational institution should be reserved for economically backward classes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Causes_of_Child_Labor_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Causes of Child Labor in India<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many reasons which force small children to be exposed to employment at a very early age which leads to the devastation of their childhood and future. The causes of child labor in India are:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Poverty_and_Unemployment\"><\/span>1. Poverty and Unemployment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As India has a high rate of poverty and a declining rate of employment, small children are forced into child labor to meet their family needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Education_is_Expensive\"><\/span>2. Education is Expensive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sadly, education in India is getting expensive which is unaffordable for many families. Parents prefer to send their children for some work rather than schools. The solution to this problem is to provide free education.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_The_existing_policies_and_laws_are_often_violated\"><\/span>3. The existing policies and laws are often violated<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People in India often break the rules and regulations regarding child labor. The rate of child labor is so high that many of the cases remain unnoticed. Although the government has made policies and Acts but many people don&#8217;t follow them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Lack_of_awareness\"><\/span>4. Lack of awareness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of the people of India, especially those belonging to poor families are not aware of the consequences of child labor and they happily send their children to work without giving a second thought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Facts_About_Child_Labor_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facts About Child Labor in India<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 33 million children of age 5-18 years are working in India. This is a serious condition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">80% of child laborers come from rural areas. Some of the children work in cities doing various jobs and most of them get trapped into the vicious web of labor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">62% of the child laborers work in agriculture, forestry, and the fishing industry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uttar Pradesh has the highest rate of child labor in India. In census 2011, it was more than 6 lacs children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason for child labor in India is a lack of education and excess poverty.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RTE only covers children of age 5-14 years. The children from age 15-18 are dropped out of school by parents due to poverty and send their children to work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12th June is the World Day Against Child Labour.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Question_on_Child_Labour\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequently Asked Question on Child Labour<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Q1. There is a tea stall near my house and a small child is working there as a waiter. What should I do?<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ans. You can file a complaint against the tea stall owner. Inform the nearby police station.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Q2. Many a time it is noticed that if people try to stand against child labor, the parents of those children take objections. What to do in this case?<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ans. Parents raise objections because of two reasons- 1. They are very poor and sending a child for work is their compulsion and 2. They are unaware of the consequences of child labor. In this case, we can simply tell their parents about the problems their children can face due to child labor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Q3. As mentioned, Government has made many laws and acts against child labor in India but still, there is a very high rate of child labor. Why?<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ans. Yes, the Indian Government has made many laws and Acts but the problem is some people violate them. Even after knowing the orders from the government, they keep committing the crime. The reason can be improper implementations of laws.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Q4. What can I do to stand against child labor in my locality?<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ans. It is good if you want to do something for the child laborers. You can talk to their parents and encourage them to send their children to schools. You can warn the owners of the shops providing jobs to small children that you will complain against them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Also Read:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/scholarships-for-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scholarships for Students in India 2024-25: State Wise list of Scholarships for Indian Students<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Child labour is exploiting children by giving them any form of work that deprives them of their childhood and education. Child labor is very harmful to a child&#8217;s mental, physical, social, and moral development.\u00a0 The problem of child labor is not new to India or worldwide, In the census of 2011, the total number of &#8230; <a title=\"Child Labour in India: Definition, Causes, Acts, Facts\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/child-labor-in-india\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Child Labour in India: Definition, Causes, Acts, Facts\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2178"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5589,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2178\/revisions\/5589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saralstudy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}