Child labour is the practice of having children engage in economic activity, on part or full-time basis. A majority of children in India are victims of child labour. These children are deprived of a proper childhood and in most cases are deprived of basic education. Being victims of child labour also affects these children both physically and mentally.
What are the causes of child labour?
1. The lack of good schools
2. Poverty
3. Uneducated Parents
4. The growth of informal economy
The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in 5-14 age group. A 2009-2010 nationwide survey found child labour prevalence had reduced to 4.98 million children.
Child labour does not only occur in India, world wide about 217 children are victims to child labour.
The child labour acts and laws in India:
The Factories Act of 1948: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory. The law also placed rules on who, when and how long can pre-adults aged 15–18 years be employed in any factory.
The Mines Act of 1952: The Act prohibits the employment of children below 18 years of age in a mine.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in hazardous occupations identified 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 it a crime, punishable with a prison term, for anyone to procure or employ a child in any hazardous employment or in bondage.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009: The law mandates free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years. This legislation also mandated that 25 percent of seats in every private school must be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups and physically challenged children.
Bonded child labour is also very common in India. The South Asian Task Force on Bonded Child Labour defines a bonded child labourer as “a child (below 18 years of age as defined in the UNCRC) working against debt taken by himself/herself or his/her family members, or working against any social obligation (e.g., caste factor, ethnic or religious practices, etc.) without or with the child’s consent, under conditions that restrain his/her freedom and develop-ment, making him/her vulnerable to physical and other forms of abuse and depriving him/her of his/ her basic rights.”
