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