Child Labour: Laws, Causes, and Eradication Efforts

TOPIC CLASSIFICATION

Subject: Social Issues / Labour Sub-area: Child Labour / Social Justice Prelim PYQ Trend: Moderate (Acts, age definitions) Mains Relevance: GS-1 (Society), GS-2 (Social Justice, Labour Reforms)

EXAMINER REASONING

Child labour is a persistent social issue tested for its legal, economic, and human rights dimensions. The examiner focuses on: (a) legal framework - Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986, amendment 2016, Juvenile Justice Act; (b) causes - poverty, lack of access to education, informal economy, migration; (c) sectors - agriculture (70%), manufacturing (Pan Masala, firecrackers, carpets), domestic work, hazardous industries; (d) eradication - NCLP (National Child Labour Project), RTE Act convergence, ILO conventions. Expect questions linking child labour to education, poverty, and India's international obligations.

Core Concept

Definition & Categories:

• Child Labour: Any work that deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity; harmful to physical and mental development
• Hazardous Child Labour: Work in dangerous industries (mining, chemicals, construction, etc.)
• Worst Forms (ILO Convention 182): Slavery, trafficking, forced recruitment (armed conflict), prostitution, illicit activities
• Child Work vs Child Labour: Not all work is child labour - age-appropriate, non-hazardous work that doesn't affect schooling is permitted (e.g., helping in family business...