PROHIBITION OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
AUTHOR – ADITHYAN K, STUDENT AT THE TAMIL NADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY (SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW)
BEST CITATION – ADITHYAN K, PROHIBITION OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (4) OF 2025, PG. 639-649, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
1.INTRODUCTION
The child labour problem continues to pose a challenge before the nation. Government takes various pro-active measures to tackle this problem. However, considering the magnitude and extent of the problem and that it is essentially a socio-economic problem inextricably linked to poverty and illiteracy, it requires concerted efforts from all sections of the society to make a dent in the problem.
Labour[1] means, ‘Work, especially hard physical work’. The term “child labour”[2] referring ‘as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental’. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children.
According to the ILO, Child Labour refers to work that deprives children (any person under 18) of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and/or mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or interferes with their schooling by:
• depriving them of the opportunity to attend school
• obliging them to leave school prematurely
• requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with
excessively long and heavy work.
Child as defined in India, The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 is a person who has not completed the age of fourteen years. A child of such tender age is expected to play, to study, and be take care of its family. But the situation of the child, by will or by force the child is forced to work in harsh conditions and atmospheric situation. It pulls to the child to the retarded growth of its adolescence stage. 2011 census obviously expressed the number of child labours in India . Out of total child labourers of 10.1 million, girls are 4.5 million and boys are 5.6 million.
The backbone of the country is Children of the country. It can be achieved by the legislation of the government. In countries, like India strict legislative measures are needed to correct the problem. In India, several legislations are enacted to control the menace of child labour.
Key words: Labour, Child labour, Prohibition, Rights, Article, Work, Provision, Problem, Control, Correct, Measures
[1] Labour: Karin Hofmeester et al. (2015)The Global Collaboratory on the History of Labour Relations, 1500–2000: Background, Set-Up, Taxonomy, and Application
[2] Child labour: hild labor and health, problems and perspectives” in International Journal of. Occupational and Environmental Health,Vol 6, No 1, Jan-Mar 2000, Philadelphia.