An Overview: Indian Child Labour Laws

Child labor statistics in India is shocking and presents a serious human right issue for the whole world. The 2001 census conducted by the Indian government estimated 12.6 million child labourers under the age of 14 while NGOs and agencies estimate the number to be much higher - 50 million!

The problem of child labour is a serious one. Imagine little children under the age of fourteen who are working in hazardous environments such as making fireworks with their bare little hands when they should be playing or learning concepts in school like other children.

Child Labour Today in India

Child exploitation and child labour today has become increasingly common. Everywhere across the country, you can find children who work more than eight hour a day at various places. A majority of these children work in various industries, such as carpet weaving, construction companies, fire cracker making, gem and diamond polishing, brass-ware, clay making and so on.

Some causes for child labour today are:

• Poverty
• Illiteracy
• Inadequate schools
• Parents who send their children forcibly to work as wage earners for the whole clan

Indian Child Labour Law to Curb Child Exploitation

Worldwide, child labour statistics is shocking. In India, the situation is much worse because these children are malnourished and abused. They cannot go home or sleep or take rest and these aspects go unnoticed because a majority of the employers do not care for their well-being.

You must be wondering about the Indian child labour laws. Article 24 of the Indian Constitution states: No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment.

Further, the Bonded Labour System Act, 1976 complies with the Constitution's directive of putting a complete end to forced child labour and child exploitation. The Indian Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 bans child labor in specific industries that is hazardous such as match making.

Many protective Indian child labour laws have been passed to govern child labour in factories in factories, commercial establishments and so on. However, enforcement of these Indian child labour laws has been poor.