Child labour can be defined as any form of slavery or involuntary servitude imposed on children or minors by adults in an exploitative manner. It is estimated that there are around 168 million child labourers globally and 14 million of them are believed to be working in India alone. Child labour comes with its own set of negative consequences, including malnutrition, lack of education, psychological issues, and the possibility of being abused by their employers. Over the years, several laws have been passed to address the issue but more needs to be done in order to really change the situation on the ground.

An introduction to child labour
Child labour is a huge problem in India. Every day, thousands of children are forced to work in factories, mines, and fields. They do not receive an education, and are paid very little for their hard work. As a result, they live in poverty and often go hungry. Slum children are especially vulnerable to being recruited into child labour. Many of them are orphaned or have parents who are unable to care for them. Due to this lack of parental supervision, these children can easily be lured into the industry with promises of food and shelter. Children living in slums experience many challenges on a daily basis. Not only are they faced with the danger that lurks around every corner – such as drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution – but there is also the uncertainty of whether they will even have enough food to eat that day. When looking at child labour in India, it is clear that these children face difficult circumstances every day – without any future prospects of improvement.

What is child labour?
Child labour is a problem that exists in many parts of the world, including India. It is defined as work that is harmful to children, either because it is dangerous or because it keeps them from attending school. According to one estimate, there are more than 60 million child labourers in India. That means that nearly one in every ten Indian children is working instead of going to school. The money they earn goes straight to their families and their contribution is necessary for them to survive.
Many families rely on their children’s income to make ends meet, and with an increasing number of rural-to-urban migrants coming into cities like Mumbai and Delhi, these children are doing jobs that were once done by adults.
In slums like Dharavi in Mumbai, where most people live in poverty with no electricity or running water, these kids often grow up much faster than other kids might do elsewhere; they spend long hours at work and their exposure to violence may be greater too.

Why are children employed?
In India, millions of children are employed because their families are desperate for money. Most child labourers work in the informal sector, where there are no labour laws to protect them. This means they can be made to work long hours for little pay in dangerous conditions. Children from poor families are especially vulnerable to exploitation, as they often have no other way to support themselves or their families. In some cases, children are even sold into labour by their parents. Slum children are particularly at risk, as they often have no other option but to work to survive. Child labour is a widespread problem in India, and it is one of the main reasons why the country has such high levels of poverty. It can also lead to significant health problems, including eye damage, respiratory illnesses and physical exhaustion. Employers do not usually give much thought to these consequences when they take on a new worker; instead, all that matters is that the person is cheap and willing to do whatever job needs doing. A number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) operate in India trying to stop child labour. One of these organisations – Bachpan Bachao Andolan – rescues children who are working in slums or on farms with physically demanding jobs like brick-making or carpet weaving. They provide the rescued children with food, shelter and education so that they can break out of this cycle of exploitation before it’s too late.

Education as a means of empowerment
In India, it is estimated that there are over 60 million child labourers. These children work in factories, on farms, and in homes. They work long hours for little pay and often face dangerous and unhealthy conditions. Many of them are not able to go to school and get an education. For those who do go to school, the classes are so overcrowded that they may have one teacher for every 50 students.

The importance of keeping children safe from harm
No child should have to work in order to survive. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality for many children living in poverty in India. They are forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions for little to no pay. This is not only unfair, but it’s also incredibly harmful to their physical and mental health. In fact, according to UNICEF, informal employment among young children is associated with malnutrition and stunting. Furthermore, these types of jobs often put them at risk for other dangers as well. For example, an eight-year-old was killed after being buried alive by a sand dam collapse in 2018. In 2016, a ten-year-old boy was burned alive when his shirt caught on fire from a gas cylinder explosion at a fireworks factory where he worked.

Ending child labour by 2025
According to the International Labour Organization, there are over 168 million child labourers around the world. That’s one in every ten children. And, according to UNICEF, almost half of them – 85 million – work in hazardous conditions. In India, child labour is especially common in the agricultural, construction and domestic work sectors. There are more than five million child labourers in these industries combined. They spend long hours working under the sun with no protection from harmful substances or tools that could harm their developing bodies. They also receive low wages, some only earn a few cents a day, or even less than a dollar a day for up to 18 hours of work per day! Many don’t attend school and instead start working when they’re as young as five years old.