INTRODUCTION TO CHILD LABOUR

Children are the greatest gift to humanity and Childhood is an important and impressionable stage of human
development as it holds the potential to the future development of any society. Children who are brought up in an
environment, which is conducive to their intellectual, physical and social health, grow up to be responsible and
productive members of society. Every nation links its future with the present status of its children. By performing
work when they are too young for the task, children unduly reduce their present welfare or their future income
earning capabilities, either by shrinking their future external choice sets or by reducing their own future individual
productive capabilities. Under extreme economic distress, children are forced to forego educational opportunities
and take up jobs which are mostly exploitative as they are usually underpaid and engaged in hazardous conditions.
Parents decide to send their child for engaging in a job as a desperate measure due to poor economic conditions. It
is therefore no wonder that the poor households predominantly send their children to work in early ages of their
life. One of the disconcerting aspects of child labour is that children are sent to work at the expense of education.
There is a strong effect of child labour on school attendance rates and the length of a child’s work day is negatively
associated with his or her capacity to attend school. Child labour restricts the right of children to access and benefit
from education and denies the fundamental opportunity to attend school. Child labour, thus, prejudices children’s
education and adversely affects their health and safety. India has all along followed a proactive policy in addressing
the problem of child labour and has always stood for constitutional, statutory and developmental measures that are
required to eliminate child labour. The Constitution of India has relevant provisions to secure compulsory universal
primary education. Labour Commissions and Committees have gone into the problems of child labour and made
extensive recommendations. India’s judiciary, right up to the 2 apex level, has demonstrated profoundly empathetic
responses against the practice of child labour. Despite several proactive legislations, policies and judicial
prouncements, the problem of child labour persists as a challenge to the country.
 MEANING OF CHILD LABOUR

Child Labour means the employment of children in any kind of work that hampers their
physical and mental development, deprives them of their basic educational and
recreational requirements. A large number of children are compelled to work in various
hazardous and non-hazardous activities such as in the agriculture sector, glass factories,
carpet industry, brass industries, matchbox factories, and as domestic help. It is a blot on
our society and speaks immensely about the inability of our society to provide a congenial
environment for the growth and development of children. 

Childhood is considered to be the best time of one’s life but unfortunately, this does not
hold true for some children who struggle to make both ends meet during their childhood
years. According to the Child Labour project and 2011 census, 10.2 million children are
engaged in child labour in India, out of which 4.5 million are girls. 

Earlier, children helped their parents in basic chores in agriculture such as sowing,
reaping, harvesting, taking care of the cattle, etc. However, with the growth of the
industries and urbanization, the issue of child labour has increased. Children at a very
tender age are employed for various inappropriate activities and they are forced to make
hazardous stuff using their nimble fingers. They are employed in the garment factories,
leather, jewellery, and sericulture industries. 

CHILD LABOUR IS A CRIME

Despite the strict law about child labour being a crime, it is still widely prevalent in India
and many other countries worldwide. Greedy and crooked employers also lack awareness
of human rights and government policies among the people below poverty. 

Children in certain mining operations and industries are a cheap source of labour, and the
employers get away with it because of corruption in the bureaucracy. Sometimes low-
income families may also ignore basic human rights and send their children to earn extra
money. It is a systemic problem that needs to be solved by addressing issues at many
levels. 

However, to protect young children from such exploitation, the Indian government has
come up with a set of punishments. Any person who hires a child younger than 14, or a
child between the ages of 14 and 18 in a dangerous job, they are liable to be imprisoned
for a term of 6 months-2 years and/or a monetary penalty ranging between Rs.20,000 and
Rs.80,000.
 CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR

In a country like India where over 40 per cent of the population is living in
conditions of extreme poverty, child labour is a complex issue. Children work
out of necessity and without their earnings (however meagre they may be), the
standard of living of their families would decline further. A large number of
them do not even have families or cannot count on them for support. In these
circumstances, the alternative to work may be idleness, destitution, or worse,
crime.

Employers give certain justifications for employing children to suppress their

guilt feelings. They say that the work keeps children away from starvation.
They are prevented from committing crimes which they would have indulged
in if they had no jobs. The bureaucrats hold that the total eradication of child
labour is not feasible because the government cannot provide substantial
alternative employment to them. The social scientists say that the main cause
of child labour is poverty. The children either supplement their parents’
income or are the only wage earners in the family.

It is said that 29.9 per cent of the total population of India or about 25 crore
23 lakh people live below poverty line. Of these, 20.6 crore are living in rural
areas and 5.17 crore in urban areas. The highest number of persons living
below the poverty line are found in Uttar Pradesh (4.48 crore), followed by
Bihar (3.36 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.24 crore), and Maharashtra (2.14
crore) (Rajasthan Patrika, November 13, 1994).

These persons are forced to send their children to work in factories, etc.
Another reason is that child labour is deliberately created by vested interests
to get cheap labour. The third reason forwarded for the existence of child
labour is that it benefits industries. For example, the carpet industry of Uttar
Pradesh which employs 75,000 children earns about Rs. 150 crore a year in
foreign exchange. In 1993, the export earnings were estimated to be about Rs.
350 crore.

CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD LABOUR

Children are exposed to accidental and other injuries at work. They should thus be protected to
prevent social, economic and physical harm, which persist to affect them during their lifetime. Such
injuries include 

 General child injuries and abuses like cuts, burns and lacerations, fractures, tiredness and
dizziness, excessive fears and nightmares.
  Sexual abuse, particularly sexual exploitation of girls by adults, rape, prostitution, early and
unwanted pregnancy, abortion, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, drugs
and alcoholism.
 Physical abuse that involve corporal punishment, emotional maltreatment such as blaming,
belittling, verbal attacks, rejection, humiliation and bad remarks.
 Emotional neglect such as deprivation of family love and affection, resulting in loneliness, and
hopelessness.
 Physical neglect like lack of adequate provision of food, clothing, shelter and medical
treatment.
 Lack of schooling results in missing educational qualifications and higher skills thus
perpetuating their life in poverty.
 Competition of children with adult workers leads to depressing wages and salaries.
Apart from the above, lack of opportunity for higher education for older children deprives the nation of
developing higher skills and technological capabilities that are required for economic
development/transformation to attain higher income and better standards of living.

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

The government has a very important role to play in the eradication of child labour. As
poverty is the major cause of child labour in our country, the government should give
assurance to provide the basic amenities to the lower strata of our society. There should
be an equal distribution of wealth. More work opportunities need to be generated to give
fair employment to the poor. The various NGOs across the nation should come forward
and provide vocational training to these people in order to jobs or to make them self-
employed. 

This lower stratum of our society should understand and believe in the importance of
education. The government and the NGOs should reach out to such people to raise
awareness and initiate free education for all children between the age group of 6-14 years.
The parents must be encouraged to send their children to schools instead of work. 

Educated and affluent citizens can come forward and contribute to the upliftment of this
class of society. They should spread the message about the harmful effects of child
labour. Schools and colleges can come up with innovative teaching programmes for poor
children. Offices and private and government institutions should offer free education to the
children of their staff. 

Moreover, awareness of family planning needs to be created among these people. The
NGOs and the government must educate them about family planning measures. This will
help the family to reduce the burden of feeding too many mouths.
 ERADICATING CHILD LABOUR

Eradication of child labour will require support from multiple aspects of society. The
government programs and government agents can only go so far with their efforts.
Sometimes, poor and uneducated families would be reluctant to let go of their familiar
ways even when better opportunities are provided.

That’s when normal citizens and volunteers need to step up for support. NGOs supported
by well-meaning citizens will have to ensure that the government policies are strictly
enforced, and all forms of corruption are brought to light.  

Education drives and workshops for the poor section of the economy need to help raise
awareness. Parents need to understand the long-term benefits of education for their
children. It can help in developing the quality of life and the potential to rise out of poverty.

The harmful consequences of child labour mentally and physically on the children need to
be taught in the workshops. Government petitions can also encourage schooling for
younger children by offering nutritious meals and other benefits. 

Education about family planning is also critical in helping to control the population. When
low-income families have more children, they are also inclined to send them for work to
help float the household. Having fewer children means that they are valued, and parents
focus on providing for their nourishment, education, and long-term well-being. 

Having fewer kids also makes them precious, and parents will not send them to hazardous
working environments in fear of permanent injury or death. The government should
introduce incentives for families with one or two children to encourage poorer families to
have fewer children and reap the benefits while providing a good life.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES

The Indian Government enacted many laws to protect child rights, namely the Child and
Adolescent Labour Act, 1986, the Factories Act, 1948, the Mines Act, 1952, the Bonded
Labour System Abolition Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. 

As per the Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation), 1986, children under the age of
fourteen years old could not be employed in hazardous occupations. This act also
attempts to regulate working conditions in the jobs that it permits and emphasizes health
and safety standards. 

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates free and
compulsory education to all children between the age group of 6 to 14 years old. 

CONCLUSION
A nation full of poverty-ridden children cannot make progress. It should be the collective
responsibility of society and the government to provide these impoverished children with a
healthy and conducive environment, which will help them to develop their innate
capabilities and their skills effectively.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A project is a golden opportunity for learning and self-development ourselves

fortunate and privileged to have such wonderful mentors guides us through the
journey for the completion of the project.

I am very grateful to CBSE and my school (Ryan International School sector

39, Noida), for giving me this opportunity. I would like thank my teachers for
guiding me through the course of the project.
I would also like to thank all my friends and peers who helped make this project a
success.
Last but not the least, I would like to express gratitude to my family for supporting
me during the project.
 CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

This is to certify that “Ashmit Singh” of class XII-A of Ryan International School
Sector – 39, Noida has completed his project on “CHILD LABOUR” under the
proper guidelines provided by Mrs. Veena Kumar. He has taken proper care and
has shown utmost sincerity in completing this project.
The Central Board of Secondary Education in the year 2021-2022. It is further
certified that this project is the individual work of the candidate and as per the
guidelines issued by CBSE.

Ms. Sunita Mukherji Ms. Veena Kumar

Principal Teacher Guide
 INDEX

S No. TOPIC Page Number

1 Introduction to Child Labour 5

2 Meaning of Child Labour 6
3 Child Labour is a Crime 6
4 Causes of Child Labour 7
5 Consequences of Child 8
Labour
6 Role of Government 9
7 Eradicating Child Labour 10
8 Government Policies 11
9 Conclusion 11
10 Bibliography 12
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