Child labour in IndiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Young boy stacking plates in Bangalore

The problem of child labour exploitation is a major challenge to the progress of developing countries. Children

work at the cost of their right to education which leaves them permanently trapped in the poverty cycle, without

the education and literacy required for better-paying jobs. This is particularly serious in India as it tops the list

with the highest number of child labourers in the world. The 2001 national census of India estimated the total

number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 17 million.[1] Out of the 12.6 million ,0.12 million engages in

hazardous job. However, according to informal labour force statistics, the problem seems to be more severe

than reflected. Child labour is estimated to be as large as 60 million in India, as many children are "hidden

workers" working in homes or in the underground economy.[2] In the long run, this phenomenon will evolve to be

both a social and an economic problem as economic disparities widen between the poor and educationally

backward states and that of the faster-growing states. India has the highest number of labourers in the world

under 14 years of age.[3] Although the Constitution of India guarantees free and compulsory education to

children between the age of 6 to 14 and prohibits employment of children younger than 14 in any hazardous

environment, child labour is prevalent in almost all informal sectors of the Indian economy.[4] Companies

including Gap,[5] Primark,[6] Monsanto [7]  etc. have been criticised for using child labour in either their operations

in India or by their suppliers in India.

Contents

  [hide] 

1 Causes

2 Consequences of child labour

o 2.1 Diamond industry

o 2.2 Fireworks manufacture

o 2.3 Silk manufacture

o 2.4 Domestic labour

o 2.5 Construction

o 2.6 Brick kilns

3 Initiatives against child labour

o 3.1 Legislation

o 3.2 Non-governmental organisations

4 References

5 External links

[edit]Causes

Many Indian families send their children to work, with some living away from home. Reasons are often

associated with poverty, keeping up with the large-size family subsistence and inadequate public education

infrastructure.[8] Families generally are also unable to afford their children’s education.[9]

“Families will have to go without their children's income for several years, a choice many poor parents will be

unable to make without help.” -BBC news[10]

Attending school means forgoing a source of income for the family. This is a common problem, especially in the

low caste and minorities of India.[11]

The demand for child labour further aggravates the situation. Many manufacturing firms and sweatshops are

strategically located at poverty-stricken areas to attract children to work as labourers. One example is the

textile factory in Delhi where clothes for the International brand “GAP” were manufactured.In 2010

Master ABHILASH rescued many children in andhra pradesh. With profit maximizing objectives, firms are

incentivised to employ children rather than adults due to their cheaper wages, higher efficiency and most

importantly, absence of union problems.[12][13]

[[File:Example.jpg ]]==Bonded child labour in India== The worst form of child labours would probably be

bonded labour.[citation needed] It refers to children who are “sold” by their parents for a petty sum, a loan or to pay off

debts.[14] A form of long run employer-slave relationship is formed when these children are tied to this debt

bondage to work for their employers for a time period that could be stretched to a lifetime, and usually it is for a

minimal or no wages.[15] There has been no universally accepted number of bonded child labourers in India, but

one estimate in 2000 shows that there were 15 million child labourers who were bonded.[16] Bonded child labour

is practiced widely across many parts of rural India and across multiple industries.

Though bondage is illegal in India and initiatives have been taken to stop bonded child labours, little has been

achieved. Both Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act,

1986, have done little to help the bonded child labourers as the employers tend to use the loopholes and

ambiguity in the act to their advantage. Also, there was a lack of will from the government to enforce the acts.

[17] Despite having large number of bonded labourers identified, very few employers got prosecuted and even

fewer got convicted.[18] According to the Ministry of Labour’s figures, between 2000 and 2002 in all of India,

there were only around 1800 bonded labourers being identified and released; and another around 17300

bonded labourers rehabilitated. However, there was no data showing how many children labourers are among

those being freed.[18]

[edit]Consequences of child labour

In general, the overall contribution of child labour in developing countries is so substantial that whether it would

harm the economy is still under continuous debate.

The presence of a large number of child labourers is regarded as a serious issue in terms of economic welfare.

It is evident from India ranking at lowest quarter (122th) in World HDI (Human Development Index) rankings; in

spite of its rapid economic growth. India compares very poorly against countries with high level of human

development on all indicators such as life expectancy, education and per capita income. Bonded or not, when

children are working, they are put apart from the necessary education.[19] Moreover, large number of low-paid

Child labours lowers India’s per capita income. Their hazardous working condition lowers India’s welfare level

too.[20] Furthermore, high illiteracy rate puts long-term economic growth at risk.

Some suggest that child labour is necessary to some extent, as child labour takes large proportion of

‘Economically Active’ population in the developing countries. When the state of Andhra Pradesh reduced the

number of child labourers by close to 300,000.[1] simultaneously it also saw the sharp decline in the state

revenue, which emphasized the importance of child labour to the Indian economy. At the end of the day, short

run numerical GDP growth alone cannot determine overall GDP growth, when indicators like literacy level and

health care should be taken into consideration too.

To keep an economy prospering, a vital criteria is to have an educated workforce equipped with relevant skills

for the needs of the industries. The young labourers today, will be part of India’s human capital tomorrow. Child

labour undoubtedly results in a trade-off with human capital accumulation.[21]

Child labour in India are employed with the majority (70%) in agricultural[22] and the rest in low-skilled labour-

intensive sectors such as sari weaving or as domestic helpers, which require neither formal education nor

training.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are tremendous economic benefits for

developing nations by sending children to school instead of work.[10] Without education, children do not gain the

necessary skills such as English literacy and technical aptitude that will increase their productivity to enable

them to secure higher-skilled jobs in future with higher wages that will lift them out of poverty.

[edit]Diamond industry

Further information: Child labour in the diamond industry#India

In 1997, the International Labour Organization published a report titled Child Labour in the Diamond Industry,

[23] claiming that child labour is highly prevalent in the Indian diamond industry, as child labourers constitute

nearly 3% of the total workforce and the percentage of child labourers is as high as 25% in the diamond

industry of Surat. The ICFTU further claimed that child labour was prospering in the diamond industry in

Western India, where the majority of the world's diamonds are cut and polished while workers are often paid

only a fraction of 1% of the value of the stones they cut.[24] Pravin Nanavati, a Surat-based diamond

businessman argued that, since high cost diamonds could easily be lost or broken while cutting or polishing,

employing a child labourer would mean risking "lakhs of rupees" and “Around 8-10 years back, some western

countries deliberately created the impression that child labour is prevalent in the Indian diamond industry" and

called the boycottfor monopolising in the sector. The South Gujarat Diamond Workers Association secretary

Mohan Dhabuwala, argued that while child labour is highly prevalent in the construction and hotel industries,

there are few child labourers in the diamond industry of Surat, less than 1% according to their surveys, mainly

because of stern punishments and penalties for violation of child labour laws.[25]

In 1998, Madhura Swaminathan from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research argued

that economic growth in Western India was associated with an increase in the number of child workers over the

last 15 years and that children work at simple repetitive manual tasks that do not require long years of training

or experience in low-paying hazardous works that involves drudgery and forecloses the option of school

education for most children.[26]

In 2005, an India-based management consultancy firm named A. F. Ferguson & Co., commissioned a study

titled Child Labour from Gem and Jewellery Industry "to spread awareness about child labor among the people

connected with the industry" that is conducted at 663 manufacturing units at 21 different locations

at Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, as a GJEPC initiative. On 12 February, the

study is presented in a seminar held by the Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and the Surat

Diamond Association, in Surat, India. The report argued that the use of child labour in India’s diamond

processing industry has been reduced from 0.55% 143 in 1998 to 0.31% in 2005 which is estimated to be less

than 1%, "while for the synthetic stone industry it is estimated to be two-thirds less". Gem& Jewellery Export

Promotion Council chairman Bakul Mehta, claimed that, "Some 500 diamond factory owners took an oath in the

city of Palanpur, Gujarat, (home town of leading Gujarati diamond merchants) not to employ children in their

factories. Similarly, in Surat, 200 factory owners took the oath," and at GJEPC they, "Remain committed to

eradicating child labor from the Indian diamond industry” arguing "...the gem and jewelry industry cannot even

think of employing children, not only for moral reasons, but that a child could be injured while polishing or

cutting the diamonds." [27][28][29]

[edit]Fireworks manufacture

It is estimated that around 135,000 children work in the Indian fireworks industry.[citation needed]

The town of Sivakasi in South India is supposed to be the capital of child labour in fireworks manufacture

sector. They mainly start work in April in preparation for the Hindu festival of Diwali. Children work daily for

minimal wages, and with no firefighting safeguard in factories manufacturing fireworks.[30] An estimated 30

people have died in two separate accidents in 2000. These child workers are usually forced to work after their

parents have accepted a cash advance of 1000-5000 rupees.[31]

[edit]Silk manufacture

Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 350,000 bonded children are employed by the silk industry in

India.[32] As per Human Rights Watch, children as young as five years old are employed and work for up to 12

hours a day and six to seven days a week.[33] Children are forced to dip their hands in scalding water

to palpate the cocoons and are often paid less than Rs 10 per day.[34]

[edit]Domestic labour

Official estimates for child labour working as domestic labour and in restaurants is more than 2,500,000 while

NGOs estimate the figure to be around 20 million.[35] The Government of India expanded the coverage of The

Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act and banned the employment of children as domestic workers and

as workers in restaurants, dhabas, hotels, spas and resorts effective from 10 October 2006.

[edit]Construction

The misuse of adult labour can be found in the construction industry too. Adults are found in construction of

both home and office buildings. In 2011, for the construction of the Asian Games care house, the contractors

had employed adults, for they had to be paid more, making it a small issue.

[edit]Brick kilns

Each year, thousands of children are rescued from brick kilns, working in awful conditions. Some of the children

are actually sold to the brick kiln owners, and are not paid.

[edit]Initiatives against child labour

A sign on a construction site in Bangalore banning child labor

In 1979, the Indian government formed the Gurupadswamy Committee to find about child labour and means to

tackle it. The Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act was not enacted based on the recommendations of

the committee in 1986. A National Policy on Child Labour was formulated in 1987 to focus on rehabilitating

children working in hazardous occupations.[1] The Ministry of Labour and Employment had implemented around

100 industry-specific National Child Labour Projects to rehabilitate the child workers since 1988.[36]

[edit]Legislation

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)

Initiatives towards Elimination of Child Labour – Action Plan and Present Strategy

The problem of child labour continues to pose a challenge before the nation. Government has been taking

various pro-active measures to tackle this problem. However, considering the magnitude and extent of the

problem and that it is essentially a socio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy, it

requires concerted efforts from all sections of the society to make a dent in the problem.

Way back in 1979, Government formed the first committee called Gurupadswamy Committee to study the issue

of child labour and to suggest measures to tackle it. The Committee examined the problem in detail and made

some far-reaching recommendations. It observed that as long as poverty continued, it would be difficult to

totally eliminate child labour and hence, any attempt to abolish it through legal recourse would not be a

practical proposition. The Committee felt that in the circumstances, the only alternative left was to ban child

labour in hazardous areas and to regulate and ameliorate the conditions of work in other areas. It

recommended that a multiple policy approach was required in dealing with the problems of working children.

Based on the recommendations of Gurupadaswamy Committee, the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation)

Act was enacted in 1986. The Act prohibits employment of children in certain specified hazardous occupations

and processes and regulates the working conditions in others. The list of hazardous occupations and

processes is progressively being expanded on the recommendation of Child Labour Technical Advisory

Committee constituted under the Act.

In consonance with the above approach, a National Policy on Child Labour was formulated in 1987. The Policy

seeks to adopt a gradual & sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous

occupations & processes in the first instance. The Action Plan outlined in the Policy for tackling this problem is

as follows:

A Legislative Action Plan for strict enforcement of Child Labour Act and other labour laws to ensure that

children are not employed in hazardous employments, and that the working conditions of children working in

non-hazardous areas are regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Child Labour Act. It also entails

further identification of additional occupations and processes, which are detrimental to the health and safety of

the children.

Focusing of General Developmental Programmes for Benefiting Child Labour - as poverty is the root cause of

child labour, the action plan emphasizes the need to cover these children and their families also under various

poverty alleviation and employment generation schemes of the Government.

Project Based Plan of Action envisages starting of projects in areas of high concentration of child labour.

Pursuant to this, in 1988, the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme was launched in 9 districts of high

child labour endemicity in the country. The Scheme envisages running of special schools for child labour

withdrawn from work. In the special schools, these children are provided formal/non-formal education along

with vocational training, a stipend of Rs.100 per month, supplementary nutrition and regular health check ups

so as to prepare them to join regular mainstream schools. Under the Scheme, funds are given to the District

Collectors for running special schools for child labour. Most of these schools are run by the NGOs in the

district.

Government has accordingly been taking proactive steps to tackle this problem through strict enforcement of

legislative provisions along with simultaneous rehabilitative measures. State Governments, which are the

appropriate implementing authorities, have been conducting regular inspections and raids to detect cases of

violations. Since poverty is the root cause of this problem, and enforcement alone cannot help solve it,

Government has been laying a lot of emphasis on the rehabilitation of these children and on improving the

economic conditions of their families.

[edit]Non-governmental organisations

Many NGOs like CARE India, Child Relief and You, Global march against child labor etc. have been working to

eradicate child labour in India.[37] In 2005, Pratham, an Indian NGO was involved in one of the biggest rescue

operations when around 500 child labourers were rescued from zari s