Peer-reviewed article
Child labour in India: Violations of children’s rights and the question of its elimination
Shashadhar Kalita ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view ·Key points
Limitations
Abstract
Child labour remains one of the most persistent social challenges confronting India. Children are engaged in diverse sectors such as agriculture, brick kilns, construction sites, stone quarries, hotels, restaurants, animal husbandry, small-scale manufacturing, and domestic work often within informal and unregulated settings. A combination of economic, social, and structural factors contributes to this phenomenon, significantly constraining the physical, psychological, moral, and social development of children. Migrant child labour has become increasingly visible across the country, with many children compelled to abandon schooling due either to limited awareness of their rights or to economic pressures arising from poverty-stricken household conditions.This study examines the contemporary situation of child labour in India, identifies its underlying causes, reviews constitutional safeguards, legal provisions, and child welfare programmes, and offers recommendations aimed at addressing this entrenched problem. Although India is constitutionally committed to child welfare, the gap between legal intent and actual implementation continues to remain a matter of serious concern [1].