Peer-reviewed article

Child labour: A barrier to India’s sustainable development goals

Daniel Michal Khan · 1 Apr 2025

Abstract

One of the most pervasive societal evils is child labour.Among South Asian nations, India accounts for a disproportionately high percentage of child labour worldwide.The ILO report "Child Labour in South Asia" claims that India has 5.8 million children aged 5 to 17 working, followed by Bangladesh (5 million), Pakistan (3.4 million), and Nepal (2 million).The present situation of child labour in India is distressing.Even though there was a decline in the number of working children to 3.9% in 2011 from 5% in 2001, the decline rate is grossly insufficient to meet Target 8.7 of the United Nations (UNs) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to end child labour in all forms by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the existing situation of child labour and made it difficult to achieve the global goal of ending child labour.Child labour impedes children from gaining skills and education, further perpetuating household poverty across generations and slowing down economic growth and sustainable development.To reach SDG Target 8.7, eradicating child labour will require a globally integrated approach, coordinated actions, effective policy-making and efficient use of resources, etc. Objectives and methodology: This study is based on a sample of two hundred child labourers randomly taken from the Dimapur city.The primary data is collected through a survey method using semi-structured questionnaires.The main objectives of this study are to closely assess the socioeconomic parameters, including place of origin, caste and religion, and parental occupation, as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children engaging in child labour.Thus, by using both the qualitative and quantitative approach, this study investigates the magnitude of child labour and its impact on the global sustainable development goals with reference to the Dimapur district in Nagaland.