Causes of Child Labor in India.

by - April 18, 2022

Write the causes of child labor .

Discuss the causes of child labor in India.

Causes of Child Labor in India.




Causes of Child Labor Problems in India: -


About 26% of India's population lives below the poverty line. However, many feel that the information provided by the government is incorrect. This poverty is at the root of the growth of child labor in India. India accounts for 33% or one-third of the world's child labor and this number is about 125 million. Of these, 69% are rural and 21% are urban. In the context of the definition of child labor, it can be said that all the risky, annoying work that adults do not want to do, is done by children for a very small fee. Generally, children in the age group of 6-14 years are called child laborers. The jobs that child laborers usually engage in are - housework, brick kiln and stone breaking, hard work in tea shops - hotels - restaurants - etc., work in street food shops, porters - hawkers, etc. , Drug-carriers - etc. They are associated with various activities. The various reasons for the increase in child labor in India are mentioned below -


1. Poverty: -
The most significant reason for the increase in child labor in India is poverty. Some people choose the life of a child laborer to get rid of the helplessness of poverty and in many cases it is the parents who force their children to become child laborers. But even if children choose the path of labor because of poverty, their condition does not improve; And over time, that is likely to go in the next generation. 

2. Illiteracy: -
Although many programs have been taken to eradicate illiteracy in India, many people in India are still in the darkness of illiteracy. It can be seen that the parents of the children who are involved in labor are usually illiterate. As a result, illiterate parents think that earning money is more reasonable than getting an education. So they involve their children in various activities instead of getting education.


3. Population growth: -
India is experiencing rapid population growth. In this situation, if more than one child is born in a poor family, it is not possible for the parents to take care of those children. Then the children of all these families are joining their livelihood or engaging in other earning activities only when they are a little older or 5/6 years old.

4. Responsibilities of the Government: -
The government has taken various steps and programs for the expansion of primary education in the country, but it is a dark reality that all these education schemes have failed to achieve the expected success. The government, in its various statistics and reports, talks about the expansion of education, but the reality is different. Even today, 50% of the children enrolled in primary schools in India do not have access to primary education.

5. Failure of Child Labor Prevention Act: -
Article 45 of the Indian Constitution states that the primary education of children aged 6-14 years is unpaid and compulsory. In this context, another law was introduced which stated that it is a criminal offense to employ children under the age of 14 years. Although the Compulsory Education Act is somewhat effective, the Child Labor Prevention Act has completely failed. The main reason for this is government indifference.


6. Parental mentality: -
One of the reasons for the failure of the policies and programs adopted by the government to address the problem of child labor is the mentality of the parents. In families where the average per capita income is low, the parents of those families find it beneficial to keep their children employed. They show less interest in compulsory education or other development projects.

7. Government policy and project limitations: -
The projects undertaken by the government to address the problem of child labor are not sufficient. The amount of money required to implement these projects is also not allocated properly. In addition, most of these programs are experimental; They have no scientific basis. Again the state authorities do not take appropriate steps to implement them successfully.

8. Influential vicious circle: -
A class of unscrupulous vicious circle is always active in recruiting child laborers and keeping them engaged in their work. For their own benefit, this vicious circle does not hesitate to employ children at all risks. So many times child laborers want to come out of this abysmal darkness - it is not possible. This vicious cycle - child labor continues by creating bad relations with political leaders, police, officials and all other authorities.

In conclusion, the problem of child labor in India is inextricably linked with the socio-economic infrastructure. So this problem has become a part of the Indian way of life and culture. While the government and the educated community want to address the problem of child labor, child labor and their families are not so concerned about the problem at all. Therefore, it is possible to solve the problem gradually through the spread of education and awareness and political good will. 



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