refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained
labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many
international organizations
and is illegal in many countries.
Child labour was employed to varying
extents through most of history, but entered public dispute with the
advent of
universal schooling, with changes in working conditions during the
industrial revolution, and with the emergence of the concepts of
workers' and
children's rights.
The problem of child labour exploitation is a major challenge to the
progress of developing countries. Children work at the cost of their
right to education which leaves them permanently trapped in the poverty
cycle, sadly without the education and literacy required for
better-paying jobs. This is particularly serious in India as it tops the
list with the highest number of child laborers in the world.
The 2001
national census of India estimated the total number of child labour,
aged 5–14, to be at 17 million
.
Out of the 12.6 million, 0.12 million engages in hazardous job.
However, according to informal labour force statistics, the problem
seems to be more severe than reflected.
Child labour is estimated to be
as large as 60 million in India, as many children are "hidden workers"
working in homes or in the underground economy.
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