Essay on Child Labour in India and Unavoidable Dilemma for Class 10, 12, Mains Exam (UPSC, PSC, SSC)
Child Labour in India and Unavoidable Dilemma Essay : Child Labour is defined by the International Labour Organisation, any form of work which affects the child’s mental and physical health, their dignity, education and their childhood. However, the International Labour Organisation also explains that children and adolescents, who involve in work which does not impact their health, personal development, or their schooling does not come under the meaning of child labour. For example, helping parents in household work or taking up holiday jobs to earn extra pocket money.
How Children are exploited in India?
Children in India are forced to do rigorous low skill work which affect their health conditions, their studies and does not help in building their future career objectives. They are exposed to bad working conditions and are not given any safety measures. They are also treated like slaves to work extra at a very low wage rate.
Most of the children are forced to work in hazardous conditions, like in a firecracker making firm or rag picking for recycling industry, or to work on heavy machinery in big factories for long hours, making them fall prey and also risking their lives under these circumstances.
The worst conditions where most of todays children work in is human trafficking situations, also facing abuse and long-term trauma and are sexually exploited. They undergo a lot of mental stress and are not able to build a brighter future for themselves. Most of these children also work at railway platforms selling eatables or other small items like gifts, chocolates, etc. where most of the money earned is taken by the person employing them, while they are barely left with anything.
Causes of Child Labour in India
Poverty: One of the root causes of child labour in India is poverty, due to which children are forced to work by their parents as they expect the child to work and bring money to run their livelihood. Due to high poverty levels in remote villages. Most of the children move to urban areas expecting to get better wages, but are exploited with low wage rate and are given long hours of work with no extra wages.
Illiteracy: Illiterate parents cause further impact on child’s future, unawareness about labour laws, put their children under more strain to work at a very early age in order to support their families. As their families are un-ware about the consequences their child will face through early labour.
Demand for Child Labour: The rising demand for child labour in the urban areas, as they are employed at cheaper wage rate hence there exist high prevalence of child labour.
Challenges faced in reducing child labour in India
Definitional Issue: One of the biggest problems in removing child labour is that the is no proper definition that of a child, in terms of age, as per various laws dealing with child labour issues.
Improper Identification: Most of the children from the remote villages lack birth certificates, hence most of them are able to manipulate their identification cards in terms of age, this has caused rise in child labour.
Lack of strict law enforcement: Corruption and lack of law enforcement agencies in regards to child labour also causes massive exploitation of children and lead them to bonded labour.
FAQ’s on Child Labour in India
What are the main problems of Child Labour in India?
Ans. Illiteracy, poverty, lack of employment and migration of labour to urban areas.
How can we improve child labour awareness?
Ans. Create awareness among parents specially in the remote villages. Encourage participation against movement for child labour. Raise voices against persons recruiting child labour.
What is the Government doing to stop child labour?
Ans. The Government has introduced the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986 to prohibit the engagement of children in certain employment and enhance the working conditions for other children in other employment.
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