Child Labour in India
Definition: Involves the employment of children in manual work, whether paid or unpaid.
- Prevalence:
- According to the 2011 Census, 10.1 million children (5-14 years) were engaged in labour out of 259.6 million in this age group.
- Despite a decrease from 5% (2001) to 3.9% (2011), the reduction rate falls short of the UN SDG target 8.7.
- Constitutional Mandate:
- The Indian constitution ensures free and compulsory education for children aged six to 14 under Article 21A.
- Progress and Challenges:
- Child labour decreased from 2001 to 2011, indicating the impact of policy and programmatic interventions.
- Insufficient decline rate poses challenges in achieving UN SDG target 8.7 by 2025
