ABSTRACT
According to the International Labour Organization, in 2019, the total number of child labourers at the global level was 168 million Asia and the Pacific house the maximum number of child labourers (almost 78 million or 9.3 percent of the child population). As per the 2011 Census, 10.1 million children (3.9 percent of the total child population) are working either as ‘main workers’ or as ‘marginal workers’. However, India is one of the top 14 countries to have made significant progress in mitigating the worst forms of child labour. But still, the problem of child labour continues to be a major socio-economic problem in India. Several studies reported that the incidences of child labour are dependent on several demand and supply-side factors. Besides poverty, female literacy, high fertility rates, large family size, and low wages are also important determinants of child labour in India. In India, poverty is considered the most important reason for the incidences of child labour, which ultimately prevents them from schooling and other specialized advanced knowledge and skills. They ultimately become part of vicious circles of poverty. The various reports from the Government of India offer the foremost reason for the perpetuation of child labour. However, some studies also show a negative relationship between child labour and poverty. The chapter will substantiate, with the review of various studies and reports, the role of poverty as the prime reason for the inbreeding of the child labour force in the country. At the end of the chapter, we will outline suggestions for mitigating the incidences of child labour in India.
