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O iginal A icle
CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA: A SOCIOLOGICAL OBSERVATION
S i. Jagade appa Chakki
Head, Dep . o Sociology,
Siddha h A s and Comme ce Deg ee College, Janwada Road Bida .
Manusc ip ID:
IJAAR-130110
Abs ac :
This esea ch pape a emp s o analyze he Child labo is a
cu se o ou socie y and a c ime agains humani y. Child labo is a
majo p oblem in India. In Indian, despi e, he e is no enac men which
genuinely con ibu ed o e adica ion o child labo . Child en a e
employed in bo h o mal and in o mal sec o s. Thus, he cla i ica ion o
he e m ‘haza dous’ is unclea and inadequa e especially in he case o
child labo . Child labo can be ac o y wo k, mining, o qua ying,
ag icul u e, helping in pa en s’ business, ha ing one’s own small
business, o doing odd jobs. The e a e many ypes o child labo bu
bonded child labo o sla e labo is one o he wo s ypes o labo o
child en. I is es ima ed ha app oxima ely 10 million bonded child en
labo e s a e wo king as domes ic se an s in India. Apa om his
he e a e nea ly 55 million bonded child labo e s who a e employed
ac oss se e al o he indus ies. Employmen o child en in he u ban
in o mal sec o is an eno mous p oblem in many pa s o he wo ld.
This is especially ue in a eas whe e po e y, unemploymen and
inadequa e oppo uni ies o educa ion and aining a e widesp ead.
Some child igh s ac i is s a gue ha child labou mus include e e y
child who is no in school because he o she is a hidden child wo ke .
Keywo ds: Child Labou , Fac o s, Na u e, Fo ms, Child Righ s,
Bonded Child Labou
ISSN: 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Volume - 13
Issue - 1
Sep embe - Oc obe 2025
Pp. 55-62
Submi ed:
30 Sep 2025
Re ised:
20 Oc 2025
Accep ed:
28 Oc 2025
Published:
31 Oc 2025
Co esponding Au ho :
S i. Jagade appa Chakki
Quick Response Code:
Websi e: h ps://ijaa .co.in/
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.17677662
DOI Link:
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenod
o.17677662
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How o ci e his a icle:
S i. Jagade appa Chakki. (2025). Child Labou In India: A Sociological Obse a ion.
In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch, 13(1), 55–62.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17677662
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In oduc ion:
Child labo is a cu se o ou socie y
and a c ime agains humani y. Child en wo k
when hey a e supposed o play o go o
school. By making hem wo k in his ende
age we a e no only des oying hei u u e,
bu also playing wi h he des iny o he
coun y. “The child is he a he o man.”
This amous line quo ed by William
Wo dswo h speci ies he impo ance o he
child o he de elopmen o building a
heal hy na ion and socie y. Childhood is he
mos innocen s age in human li e. A child
no mally has o enjoy i s childhood days
wi h i s pa en s, eache s, iends e c. I is
ha s age o li e whe e ine and long las ing
imp essions ga he in child‟s mind.
Howe e , his simple ule o na u e has been
c ippled by he e e -g owing menace o
child labo .In his mode n wo ld, child labo
s ill emains a se ious p oblem in many pa s
o he wo ld. Today, h oughou he wo ld,
a ound 215 million child en a e child labo s.
The sad hing is ha hey wo k unde
haza dous ci cums ances. Mo e han hal o
hem a e exposed o he wo s o m o child
labo such as wo k in ha m ul en i onmen s,
sla e y, o o he o ms o o ced labo , illici
ac i i ies including d ug a icking and
p os i u ion, as well as in ol emen in a med
con lic .
Child labo is a majo p oblem in
India. In Indian, despi e, he e is no
enac men which genuinely con ibu ed o
e adica ion o child labo . The cons i u ion
in a icle – 25 s a es ha no child below 14
yea s will be employed in any ac o ies o
mines o engaged in any haza dous
occupa ion ha is ha m ul o hem. Bu , ill
now i is no ema ked anywhe e o ablu ion
o elimina ion o child labo . Admi ing ha
he Child Labo P ohibi ion and Regula ion
Ac o 1986 ha e pu o wa d some a e age
wo king condi ions o child en who wo k in
haza dous en i onmen , ye he wo d
haza dous has no been speci ied clea ly
anywhe e in he cons i u ion, o in any ac
asse ed on child labo . Thus, he
cla i ica ion o he e m „haza dous‟ is
unclea and inadequa e especially in he case
o child labo .Child labo can be ac o y
wo k, mining, o qua ying, ag icul u e,
helping in pa en s‟ business, ha ing one‟s
own small business, o doing odd jobs.
Child en wo k as wai e s in es au an s and
some imes as ou is ‟s guides. O he child en
a e o ced o do d aggy and unin e es ing
jobs such as polishing shoes o ich people
o accumula ing boxes. Howe e , ins ead o
wo king in ac o ies and swea shops, mos
child labo occu s in he in o mal sec o ,
child en a e o ced o sell p oduc s on he
s ee s, wo k in ag icul u e ields o hidden
away in houses- a om he each o
o icial labo inspec o s and om media
inspec ion.
The e a e many ypes o child labo
bu bonded child labo o sla e labo is one
o he wo s ypes o labo o child en. I is
es ima ed ha app oxima ely 10 million
bonded child en labo e s a e wo king as
domes ic se an s in India. Apa om his
he e a e nea ly 55 million bonded child
labo e s who a e employed ac oss se e al
o he indus ies. A ecen In e na ional
Labo O ganiza ion (ILO) epo says ha in
India he e a e abou 80 pe cen o child
labo e s who a e hi ed in he ag icul u e
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sec o . Gene ally, he child en a e sold o he
ich moneylende s o whom bo owed
money canno be e u ned. In addi ion o his
„S ee child en‟ is ano he ype o child
labo whe e child en wo k on he s ee as
begga s, lowe selle s, e c. Some imes
child en a e no being p o ided wi h ood o
long so ha people eel so y o hem and
gi e alms. The s a is ical in o ma ion
ega ding child labo canno be aken o be
p ecise, as he e a e a eas whe e no
accoun ing has been done.Child labo is in
ac , a sou ce o income o poo amilies.
Poo pa en s gi e bi h o child en hinking
hey would ea n mo e money. The child en
ei he inc ease hei pa en ‟s income o a e
he only wage ea ne s in he amily. Because
o po e y amilies a e o ced o send hei
child en in o labo , he employe s ind i a
sou ce o cheap and ouble ee labo .
Child en can be bea en and o men ed in o
doing di y jobs. Innocen child en a e
employed by indus ies and indi iduals who
pu hem o wo k unde exhaus ing
en i onmen s. They a e made o wo k o
long hou s in dange ous ac o y uni s and
some imes made o ca y load e en hea ie
han hei own body weigh .Millions o
child en a e in ol ed in wo k ha is
unaccep able o child en, including he sale
and a icking o child en in o deb
bondage, se dom, and o ced labo . I
includes he o ced employmen o child en
o a med con lic , comme cial sexual
exploi a ion and illici ac i i ies such as
p oducing and a icking d ugs.
Concep o Child Labo :
The e m 'child labo ', sugges s ILO
is bes de ined as wo k ha dep i es child en
o hei childhood, hei po en ial and hei
digni y, and ha is ha m ul o physical and
men al de elopmen . I e e s o wo k ha is
men ally, physically, socially o mo ally
dange ous and ha m ul o child en, o wo k
whose schedule in e e es wi h hei abili y
o a end egula school, o wo k ha a ec s
in any manne hei abili y o ocus du ing
wa and clubs and bou os, school o
expe ience a heal hy childhood. UNICEF
de ines child labo di e en ly. A child,
sugges s UNICEF, is in ol ed in child labo
ac i i ies i be ween 5 and 11 yea s, he o
she did a leas one hou o economic
ac i i y o a leas 28 hou s o domes ic
wo k a week, and in case o child en
be ween 12 and 14 yea s o age, he o she
did a leas 14 hou s o economic ac i i y o
a leas 42 hou s o economic ac i i y and
domes ic wo k pe week. UNICEF in
ano he epo sugges s, "Child en's wo k
needs o be seen as a con inuum, wi h
des uc i e o exploi a i e wo k a one end
and bene icial wo k - p omo ing o
enhancing child en's de elopmen wi hou
in e e ing wi h hei schooling, ec ea ion
and es - a he o he . And be ween hese
wo poles a e as a eas o wo k ha need
no nega i ely a ec a child's de elopmen ."
India's Census 2001 o ice, de ines
child labo as pa icipa ion o a child less
han 17 yea s o any inancially p oduc i e
ac i i y wi h o wi hou compensa ion,
wages o p o i . Such pa icipa ion could be
physical o men al o bo h. This wo k
includes pa - ime help o unpaid wo k on
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he a m, amily en e p ise o any o he
economic ac i i y such as cul i a ion and
milk p oduc ion o sale o domes ic
consump ion. Indian go e nmen classi ies
child labo e s in o wo g oups: Main
wo ke s a e hose who wo k 6 mon hs o
mo e pe yea . And ma ginal child wo ke s
a e hose who wo k a any ime du ing he
yea bu less han 6 mon hs in a yea .
Some child igh s ac i is s a gue ha
child labou mus include e e y child who is
no in school because he o she is a hidden
child wo ke . UUNICEF, howe e , poin s
ou ha India aces majo sho ages o
schools, class ooms and eache s in in u al
a eas whe e 90 pe cen o child labo
p oblem is obse ed. Abou 1 in 5 p ima y
schools ha e jus one eache o each
s uden s ac oss all g ades.
The Fac o s and Na u e o Child Labo :
The ac o s ha con ibu e o child
labo - including "haza dous" child labo -
include he po e y and illi e acy o a child's
pa en s, he amily's social and economic
ci cums ances, a lack o awa eness abou he
child labo , lack o access o basic and
meaning ul quali y educa ion and skills
aining, high a es o adul unemploymen
and unde -employmen , and he cul u al
alues o he amily and su ounding
socie y.O en child en a e also bonded o
labo due o a amily deb . Ou o school
child en (OOSC) o hose child en a isk o
d opping ou can easily d aw in o wo k and
mo e ulne able o exploi a ion. Gi ls,
especially hose om socially disad an aged
g oups, end o be a high isk o being
o ced in o wo k.Child en a e employed
because hey a e cheap and pliable o he
demands o he employe and no awa e o
hei igh s. The isks ha hese child en ace
can ha e an i e e sible physical,
psychological and mo al impac on hei
de elopmen , heal h and wellbeing.
The Pa adox o Child Labou in India:
I espec i e o wha child en do and
wha hey hink o wha hey do, mode n
socie y se s child en apa ideologically as a
ca ego y o people excluded om he
p oduc ion o alue.The dissocia ion o
childhood om he pe o mance o alued
wo k is conside ed a ya ds ick o mode ni y,
and a high incidence o child labou is
conside ed a sign o unde de elopmen . The
p oblem wi h de ining child en‟s oles in
his way, howe e , is ha i denies hei
agency in he c ea ion and nego ia ion o
alue.Illumina ing he complexi y o he
wo k pa e ns o child en in de eloping
coun ies, ecen an h opological esea ch
has begun o demons a e he need o
c i ically examine he ela ion be ween he
condemna ion o child labou on he one
hand and child en‟s e e yday wo k p ac ice
on he o he .The eme ging pa adox is ha
he mo al condemna ion o child labou
assumes ha child en‟s place in mode n
socie y mus pe o ce be one o dependency
and passi i y. This denial o hei capaci y o
legi ima ely ac upon hei en i onmen by
unde aking aluable wo k makes child en
al oge he dependen upon en i lemen s
gua an eed by he s a e.
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App oaches o Child en's Wo k:
The ecen conce n wi h child labo
d aws on a sha ed unde s anding among
de elope s o how, om he mid-19 h
cen u y, he wes e n indus ial socie y began
o elimina e h ough legisla ion he
exploi a ion o child en. Howe e , his o ians
s ill discuss mo e deep-sea ed easons o he
nine een h-cen u y ou c y in Wes e n Eu ope
and he Uni ed S a es agains child labo ,
which is as old as childhood i sel . Fo
example, Na dinelii (1990) has ques ioned
he assump ion ha his ou c y was inspi ed,
as some au ho s a gue, by he b u al
ea men o child en wo king in ac o ies.
Besides humani a ian easons, Na dinelii
(1990) a gued ha he e was a desi e o
p o ec ini ia i es o mechanize he ex ile
indus y om he uncon olled compe i ion
o a labo o ce composed almos en i ely o
child en. Ano he equally impo an eason
was he ea o poli ical ins abili y c ea ed by
a you h ul wo king class by he disciplined
by he mili a y, schools, o chu ch. While
Some belie e compulso y educa ion was he
single mos impo an ins umen leading o
he elimina ion o child labo , while o he s
a gued ha changes in he pe cei ed oles o
child en and inc eased amily income,
played a mo e decisi e ole.
Child Fo ms o Child Labo :
Child en a e employed in bo h
o mal and in o mal sec o s. Among he
occupa ions whe e child en a e engaged in
wo k a e cons uc ion wo k, domes ic wo k
and small-scale indus ies. Inciden ally,
ag icul u e is no only he oldes bu also he
mos common child occupa ion wo ldwide.
Some o he indus ies ha depend on child
labo a e bangle-making, beedi-making,
powe looms and manu ac u ing p ocesses.
These indus ies use oxic me als and
subs ances such as lead, me cu y,
manganese, ch omium, cadmium, benzene,
pes icides and asbes os. Child labo is e y
ha m ul and wholehea ed e o s o
elimina e his mus be done.
In e en ion and Child Labo :
Educa ion is a e y impo an pa o
de elopmen . Child en who a e d awn o
child labo a e basically d i en because o
economic dep i a ion, lack o schooling and
engagemen o amily o daily needs.
S udies ha e ound low en ollmen wi h
inc eased a es o child employmen .
Schools a e he pla o m o ea ly
in e en ion agains child labo , as i es ic s
hei pa icipa ion in menial jobs. Hu dles in
his app oach a e economic easons. Unless
economic change is b ough abou , he
child en will no be able o a end he school.
Child labo can be con olled by economic
de elopmen inc easing awa eness and
making educa ion a o dable ac oss all
le els, and en o cemen o an i child labo
laws.The Go e nmen o India has aken
ce ain ini ia i es o con ol child labo . The
Na ional Child Labo P ojec (NCLP)
Scheme was launched in 9 dis ic s o high
child labo endemici y in he coun y. Unde
he scheme, unds a e gi en o he Dis ic
Collec o s o unning special schools o
child labo . Mos o hese schools a e un by
he NGOs in he dis ic . Unde he scheme,
hese child en a e p o ided o mal/in o mal
educa ion along wi h oca ional aining,
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and a s ipend o Rs. 100 pe mon h. Heal h
check-up is also done o hem.
Bonded Child Labou : Bonded child
labou is a hidden phenomenon as a majo i y
o hem a e ound in he in o mal sec o .
Bonded labou means he employmen o a
pe son agains a loan o deb o social
obliga ion by he amily o he child o he
amily as a whole. I is a o m o sla e y.
Child en who a e bonded wi h hei amily
o inhe i a deb om hei pa en s a e o en
ound in ag icul u al sec o o assis ing hei
amilies in b ick kilns, and s one qua ies.
Indi idual pledging o child en is a g owing
occu ence ha usually leads o a icking
o child en o u ban a eas o employmen
and ha e child en wo king in small
p oduc ion houses e sus ac o ies. Bonded
labou e s in India a e mos ly mig an
wo ke s, which opens hem up o mo e
exploi a ion. Also hey mos ly come om
low cas e g oups such as dali s o
ma ginalised ibal g oups. Bonded child
labou e s a e a e y high isk o physical
and sexual abuse and neglec some imes
leading o dea h. They o en a e
psychologically and men ally dis u bed and
ha e no lea n many social skills o su i al
skills.
Child P o ec ion & Child Righ s India:
“Ou o school child en comp ise he
wo ke s and non wo ke s. In ou iew hey
oge he signi y a measu e o dep i a ion
among child en and can be conside ed as a
po en ial labou pool always being a he isk
o en e ing he labou o ce" - NCEUS, 2007
India is sadly he home o he la ges numbe
o child labou e s in he wo ld. The census
ound an inc ease in he numbe o child
labou e s om 11.28 million in 1991 o
12.59 million in 2001. M.V. Founda ion in
Andh a P adesh ound nea ly 400,000
child en, mos ly gi ls be ween se en and 14
yea s o age, oiling o 14-16 hou s a day in
co onseed p oduc ion ac oss he coun y o
which 90% a e employed in Andh a
P adesh. 40% o he labou in a p ecious
s one cu ing sec o is child en. NGOs ha e
disco e ed he use o child labou e s in
mining indus y in Bella y Dis ic in
Ka na aka in spi e o a ha sh ban on he
same. In u ban a eas he e is a high
employmen o child en in he za i and
emb oide y indus y.
Po e y and lack o social secu i y
a e he main causes o child labou . The
inc easing gap be ween he ich and he
poo , p i a iza ion o basic se ices and he
neo-libe al economic policies a e causes
majo sec ions o he popula ion ou o
employmen and wi hou basic needs. This
ad e sely a ec s child en mo e han any
o he g oup. En y o mul i-na ional
co po a ions in o indus y wi hou p ope
mechanisms o hold hem accoun able has
lead o he use o child labou . Lack o
quali y uni e sal educa ion has also
con ibu ed o child en d opping ou o
school and en e ing he labou o ce. A
majo conce n is ha he ac ual numbe o
child labou e s goes un-de ec ed. Laws ha
a e mean o p o ec child en om haza dous
labou a e ine ec i e and no implemen ed
co ec ly.
A g owing phenomenon is using
child en as domes ic wo ke s in u ban a eas.
The condi ions in which child en wo k is
comple ely un egula ed and hey a e o en
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made o wo k wi hou ood, and e y low
wages, esembling si ua ions o sla e y.
The e a e cases o physical, sexual and
emo ional abuse o child domes ic wo ke s.
The a gumen o domes ic wo k is o en
ha amilies ha e placed hei child en in
hese homes o ca e and employmen . The e
has been a ecen no i ica ion by he minis y
o labou making child domes ic wo k as
well as employmen o child en in dhabas,
ea s alls and es au an s "haza dous"
occupa ions.
Conclusion:
The child labou has become a social
e il when people s a ed exploi ing he
child en o ende age. A u al a eas and
e en in many o u ban a eas, he child en o
school going age a e ound in ac o ies,
ho els indus ies, s ee wo ke s, a icked,
beedi wo ke s, ag icul u al ield which
dep i es oppo uni ies o no mal, physical,
men al and social g ow h and de elopmen .
This is he s o y o child labo in all he poo
de eloping and unde de eloped coun ies o
wo ld including India. E en a e six y- i e
yea s o independence India has no been
able o gi e any libe a ion o he poo . Ye
wi hd awal o child labo is cu eless ask in
he cu en socio-economic scena io, he
Indian go e nmen is dedica ed o he ask o
con i ming ha all he child en should be
li e a e and ha no child emains illi e a e,
hung y and wi hou medical ca e. When his
ideal will be achie ed is a million dolla
ques ion. Child labo is, no doub an e il ha
should be done away wi h a he ea lies . The
p e alence o child labo ebound and
e ec s ad e sely on socie y ha i is no able
o s op his e il. Bu in a socie y whe e many
households ha e o go h ough he
discom o o s a a ion i he child en a e
wi hd awn om wo k, begga s can‟ be
choose . Un o una ely hese amilies ha e
o send hei child en o wo k, knowing ha
he u u e o he child will be uined bu hey
ha e o, as ha is he only way open o
hem o su i e in his wo ld. The e o e
unless he socio economic s a us o he poo
amilies is imp o ed, India has o li e wi h
child labo . B inging 8 million ou -o -school
child en in o classes a he age-app op ia e
le el wi h he suppo o s ay in school and
succeed poses a majo challenge. Subs an ial
e o s a e essen ial o elimina e dispa i ies
and ensu e quali y wi h equi y. Success ul
implemen a ion o he Ac would ce ainly
go a long way in e adica ing child labo in
India.
Re e ences:
1. Unice , Guide o he Con en ion on
he Righ s o he Child. 2006. [Las
accessed on 2006]. A ailable om:
h p://www.unice .o g/c c/
2. Tiwa i RR. Child labo in oo wea
Indus y: Possible occupa ional heal h
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