Peer-reviewed article
ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS AND POLICY INTERVENTIONS IN CHILD LABOUR AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND SOLUTIONS
Dr. Ajit Kumar Sharma ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines why child labour persists in India despite legal prohibitions and welfare programmes. Using household surveys, focus groups, and official statistics, researchers identified poverty, adult unemployment, and expensive education as key drivers of child labour. Policy programmes like school meal schemes and cash transfers showed promise but were inconsistently implemented. The authors recommend better social protection, stronger monitoring, and economic growth to reduce child labour.
Key points
- Household poverty, adult unemployment, and high cost of schooling are major factors driving child labour
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme, conditional cash transfers, and employment guarantee programmes showed positive effects on reducing child labour
- Policy coverage and enforcement of interventions remain inconsistent across regions
- Social protection measures and local-level monitoring need strengthening
- Sustainable reduction of child labour requires inclusive economic growth alongside targeted policies
Limitations
The document is an abstract that describes the study design and main findings but does not provide specific quantitative results, effect sizes, or detailed comparative analysis of different policy interventions. It does not detail the magnitude of change or statistical significance of the policy outcomes.
Abstract
Child labour remains a persistent socio-economic challenge in developing nations, despite sustained legal prohibitions and targeted welfare programmes. This study, titled "Economic Determinants and Policy Interventions in Child Labour: An Analytical Study of Causes, Consequences, and Solutions", investigates the economic factors influencing child labour, evaluates its socio-economic consequences, and assesses the effectiveness of policy measures in mitigating the problem. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research integrates primary data from household surveys and focus group discussions with secondary data from official statistics such as NSSO, Census of India, and ILO reports. Statistical techniques, including regression analysis and policy impact evaluation, are utilised to identify causal relationships between household income, unemployment, wage differentials, cost of schooling, and the prevalence of child labour. The findings reveal that household poverty, adult unemployment, and limited access to affordable education significantly contribute to the persistence of child labour. While policy interventions like the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, conditional cash transfers, and employment guarantee programmes show positive effects, their coverage and enforcement remain inconsistent. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for enhancing social protection measures, strengthening local-level monitoring, and promoting inclusive economic growth to eradicate child labour sustainably.