Peer-reviewed article
Studies on Child Labour in India
Jaya Bairagi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This review article examines child labour in India, presenting global and national prevalence data. The 2001 Indian census estimated 12.6 million children aged 5-14 engaged in child labour, with many working in hidden or informal settings. The document notes that child labour exists in various forms across India and globally, affecting children's development. Small-scale and community-based studies have documented similar prevalence figures.
Key points
- An estimated 186 million child labourers exist worldwide
- India's 2001 national census reported 12.6 million child labourers aged 5-14 years
- Many children work as 'hidden workers' in homes or the underground economy
- Child labour prevalence varies across different regions globally
- Child labour exists in hazardous occupations affecting children's development
Limitations
This is a review article presenting existing statistics rather than new research or evaluation. It does not describe specific interventions, outcomes, or detailed analysis of causes and solutions to child labour in India.
Abstract
Abstract \n\nChildren are future citizens of the Nation and their adequate development is utmost priority of the country. Unfortunately, child labor engulfs children across the world. The world is home to 1.2 billion individuals aged 10-19 years. However, despite its menace in various forms, the data shows variation in prevalence of child labor across the globe and the statistical figures about child labor are very alarming. There are an estimated 186 million child laborers worldwide. The 2001 national census of India estimated total number of child labor aged 5–14 to be at 12.6 million. Small-scale and community-based studies have found estimated prevalence of 12.6 million children engaged in hazardous occupations. Many children are “hidden workers” working in homes or in the underground economy. Present short review article reveals different aspects of it.\n\nKey Words: Child Labour, Indian scenario, adequate development.