Child Labour in India Essay Upsc

CHILD LABOUR

The Nobel Prize winner Mr Kailash Satyarthi said-  "I dream for a world which is free from child labour, a world in which every child goes to school. A world in which every child gets his rights". India is the home to the largest child population in the world but Child Labour is one of the most concerning problems in India. In this article, we are going to discuss about child labour which is important for your UPSC exam.

 

What is the definition of Child Labour?

“The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines child labour as "work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and which is harmful to their physical and mental development". It refers to work that's mentally, physically, socially or ethically dangerous and harmful to children, or work whose schedule interferes with their ability to attend regular school or work that affects in any manner their ability to focus during school or experience healthy childhood. However, children or adolescents who participate in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling is not child labour. These includes activities such as family help at home, helping family or earning pocket money outside school hours and on holidays.”

Child Labour in India

Ø According to the 2011 Census, There were more than 10.2 million “economically active” children in the age group of  5 to 14-5. out of which 6 million boys and 4.5 million girls. 

 

 

Ø According to this, more than 8 million children were working in rural areas, and 2 million in urban areas (cities) but Child labour has decreased in rural areas and increased drastically in the urban areas which is really alarming and concerning.

 

 

Ø According to an analysis by Child Rights and You (CRY), There is only 2.2% decrease in child labour in India from 2001 to 2011.

 

The Nature of Child Labour In India:

Ø In India, There has been an increasing involvement of children in home-based works and in the informal sector. 

 

Ø Many children are engaged in manual domestic work, rag picking, restaurants, motor repair shops, etc. in urban areas.

 

 

Ø In rural sector children are engaged in the agricultural sector including cotton growing, at the glass, matchbox and brass and lock-making factories, in embroidery, rag-picking, beedi rolling, in the carpet-making industry, in mining and stone quarrying, brick kilns and tea gardens amongst others. 

 

 

Ø Girls being engaged in more domestic and home-based work, and boys working as wage labourers, show the gender-specific labour in the country. 

 

Impact of Child Labour:

 

Ø Children working as child labour lost their childhood. It not only keeps away from his/her right to education but also a child is left with no time to play.

 

Ø Hazardous working conditions adversely affects a child’s physical and mental health. 

 

 

Ø Presence of a large number of child labourers has long term effect on the economy; it is a serious obstacle to socioeconomic welfare of a country. 

 

 

Ø Children who work do not get a proper education. Also, their physical, emotional and psychological development gets retarded. 

 

 

Ø Those children who never go to school due to working habits will remain illiterate and this would hinder quality human capital formation.

 

 

Ø According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are tremendous economic benefits for developing nations like India by sending children to school instead of work. These children don't get the necessary skills without education that will help in increasing their productivity that enable them to get higher-skilled jobs in future with higher wages that will lift them out of poverty.

Acts and Laws Related to Child Labour in India

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986

 

Ø This act was passed in 1986 on the recommendation of Gurupadswammy Committee (1979). 

 

 

Ø This act forbids the engagement of children in certain employments. 

 

 

Ø This act defines a child as "any person who is under 14 years of age".

 

 

Ø This act prohibits the working of children at Catering and construction work on the railway or anywhere near the railway tracks, Plastic Factories, automobile garage, beedi making, tanning, soap manufacture, bricks kilns, and roof tiles units, etc.

 

 

Ø This act is amended in 2016 by the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016.

 

Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

 

Ø This act prohibits the engagement of the children(under 14 years) in all occupations and of the adolescents (above 14 years but under 18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes.

 

 

Ø But this amendment acts has some controversial limitations like :

 

 

Ø It has reduced the list of hazardous occupations.

 

 

Ø it allows child labour in "Family or Family enterprises".

 

 

Ø It also allows the child labour in the "audio-visual entertainment industry".

 

 

Ø This act also does not define the hours of working, it simply says that children may work after school hours or during vacations.

National Child Labour Project Scheme

Ø The Government of India had initiated the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) scheme in 1988 for the rehabilitation of child labour. By this scheme, Special schools or Rehabilitation centres for the rehabilitation of child labour are established. These Special schools provide:

Ø Non-formal/ bridge education 

 

Ø skilled/ vocational training

 

 

Ø mid-day meal

 

 

Ø a stipend of Rs.150 per child per month

 

Ø Health care facility

 

National Policy On Child Labour (1987)

Ø It contains the action plan for tackling the problem of Child Labour.

Ø It mainly focuses on the rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention.

 

Ø The policy consists of three main attributes:

 

a) Legal Action plan –Emphasis will be laid on strict and effective enforcement of legal provisions relating to a child under various Labour Laws.

 

b) Focusing on general development programmes- Utilisation of various on-going development programmes of other Ministries/Departments for the benefit of Child Labour wherever possible.

 

c) Project-based plan of Action – Launching of projects for the welfare of working child in areas of high concentration of child labour.

The Right To Free And Compulsory Education Act (2009)

 

Ø This act made it mandatory to ensure free education to the childrenaged 6 to 14 in schools by the state government.

 

 

Ø According to Article 21A of Indian Constitution education is a fundamental right. By ensuring free education to children, this will help in reducing child labour in India.

 

Ø Child Labour is one of the most concerning problems of our country. To avoid it we should implement the rule and regulations properly and punish those who encourage child labour.