literature review of child labour in india

Prevalence and potential consequences of child labour in India and the possible impact of COVID-19 - a contemporary overview

Affiliations.

• 1 State Legal Services Authority, India.
• 2 Adelaide School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
• PMID: 33563103
• DOI: 10.1177/0025802421993364

Child labour is a global phenomenon occurring predominantly in countries with lower socioeconomic status and resources. Societal and familial poverty, loss or incapacitation/illness of parents, lack of social security and protection, and ignorance about the value of, or limited access to, education are among the myriad reasons for the involvement of children in the workforce. Child labour is a barrier to the development of individual children and their society and economy. Global estimates indicate that 152 million children (64 million girls and 88 million boys) are working, accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide. Currently the COVID-19 health pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market consequences are having a major impact on people's lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, impoverished families and their children are often the first to suffer, which may push many more vulnerable children into child labour situations. Child labour in India is more prevalent than in many other countries, with approximately 10 million children actively engaged in, or seeking, work. This paper focuses on the issue of child labour, its causes and its ill effects. Further, it also reviews the international legal framework relating to child labour and legislative issues in India. There is clearly an urgent need for this issue to be effectively addressed and resolved.

Keywords: COVID-19; Child labour; child abuse; child development; child health; exploitation; poverty.

Publication types

• COVID-19 / epidemiology*
• Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
• Child Labor / statistics & numerical data*
• Risk Factors
• Social Conditions*
• Socioeconomic Factors

• Search Menu
• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Emotions
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Acquisition
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Religion
• Music and Media
• Music and Culture
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Toxicology
• Medical Oncology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Medical Ethics
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Security
• Computer Games
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business Strategy
• Business Ethics
• Business History
• Business and Government
• Business and Technology
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic Systems
• Economic History
• Economic Methodology
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Political Theory
• Politics and Law
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

Child Labour in India: Globalization, Power, and the Politics of International Children's Rights

• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

India has the largest number of child labourers in the world, and has been the subject of intense media and political campaigns in the North aimed at addressing the abuse of children’s rights. This book explores children’s rights as a site of power and reveals how the rights discourse has been used by international actors, national elites, and local NGOs in the child labour debate in India. While discussing the children’s rights in the contemporary world, the author analyses human rights and power along with insights from postcolonial theorists. He provides empirical accounts of how three Indian NGOs—Bonded Labour Liberation Front, Butterflies, and South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude—are using the discourse of children’s rights to challenge child labour practices. Combining global and local perspectives to arrive at a comprehensive picture, the book locates the struggle for child rights on two fronts: critiquing neo-liberal globalization and challenging rights violations in India.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

• GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
• Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code

Institutional access

• Sign in with a library card Sign in with username/password Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Literature review of child labour

This comprehensive literature review of child labour summarises the literature on child time allocation, the types of work children participate in, the impact of work on schooling, health, and externalities associated with child work. It also considers the literature on the determinants of child time allocation (child labour) such as the influence of local labour markets, family interactions, the net return of schooling and poverty. Additionally, the paper discusses evidence on policy options aimed at influencing child labour.

Related News

• Our Vision, Mission and Strategy
• Our Structure
• Attougbré Richmond
• Be janvier James
• Iritié Bi Olivier
• Jean Didier Pognon
• Kouassi Anorld
• Lamah Kaman
• Our Ghana Team
• Our Switzerland Team
• Why become a member?
• Partners and donors
• Annual Report 2022
• Why work for ICI?
• Current vacancies
• Consultancies
• Call for Tenders
• Child labour in cocoa
• Awareness-Raising
• Quality Education
• Youth Skills
• Gender Equality
• Forced labour in cocoa
• Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems
• Community Development
• Innovation and learning
• Human rights due diligence in the cocoa supply chain
• Strengthening the resilience of cocoa-growing communities
• Tackling child and forced labour in Ghanaian cocoa and gold mining
• Responsible management of child labour risks in Côte d'Ivoire’s cocoa sector
• Developing a toolkit to identify and address forced labour in cocoa
• Targeted income support to reduce child labour
• Infographics
• View site in English
• Voir le site en français

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA LITERATURE SURVEY

The Literature Survey was done during a case study on "Child Labour in India" in Delhi. This paper presents an understanding of the definition, laws, causes and solutions to the problem of child labour in India with qualitative and quantitative data sourced from government, media and UN sources.

Related Papers

BHARGAB BARMAN

Shamrendra Vikram

Child is categorised as that class of the society which is most prone to exploitation and abused. He is regarded as the father of the man. With his present secured and guaranteed with the basic rights indispensable for growth and development, we secure the future of the nation. India has more than 10 million children working as child labourer in industrial and family set-ups. These children are susceptible to physical and mental abuse at workplace along with working in hazardous factory setup at minimum or no wages. The child labourer is deprived of education, health and strength that is essential for his or her growth. Such activities inhibit intellectual and personality development. Poverty, migration, low family earning, social conditions etc. drives a child to forcefully work in exploitative conditions. It is incumbent on the government to take cognizance of the deplorable state of the child and initiate measure to uphold the basic human rights of the child. Implementation of Co...

Rubab Bukhari

International Journal of Science and Research IJSR)

B Suresh Lal, PhD

This paper focuses on various concepts and studies associated with child labour, their socioeconomic issues, the World and Indian scenario of child labour. It analyses the driving factors responsible for child labour in India and World. The various forms of child labour and health hazards they are faced. Various causes of child labour like the curse of poverty, lack of educational resources, Social and economic backwardness, Addiction, disease or disability, The lure of cheap labour, Family tradition, Discrimination between boys and girls. Consequences of Child Labour such as General child injuries and abuses like cuts, burns, and lacerations, fractures, tiredness and dizziness, excessive fears and nightmares. Sexual abuse, particularly sexual exploitation of girls by adults, rape, prostitution, early and unwanted pregnancy, abortion, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcoholism. Physical abuse involves corporal punishment, emotional maltreatment such as blaming, belittling, verbal attacks, and bad remarks. Emotional neglect such as deprivation of family love and affection, resulting in loneliness, and hopelessness. Physical neglect like lack of adequate provision of food, clothing, shelter and medical treatment. Lack of schooling results in missing educational qualifications and higher skills thus perpetuating their life in poverty. We suggest for a new approach that puts people and the work they do at the center of economic and social policy and business practice: a human-centered agenda for the future of work.

IJSRP Journal

A Child is defined as a every human being below the age of 18 years. Human rights begin with child rights. These rights are : 1. Subsistence rights 2. Development rights 3. Protection rights 4. Participation rights. But, in India, many of these feeble hands, instead of carrying books are often bruise in factories of pan, bidi, cigarettes (21%), construction (17%), domestic workers (15%), spinning & weaving (11%), apart from brick kilns (7%) dhabas (6%) auto workers (4%) ,paddy-fields and football making etc. Punjab has an alarmingly low under-5 sex ratio(846:1000) and the lowest sex ratio at birth(832:1000). It also has 1,77,268 child laborers. Among all reported feticides, 56% are registered in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Punjab. Crime against children saw a 24% increase; from 26,694 cases in 2010 to 33,098 cases in 2011. Rape cases increased by 30%, feticide by 19% while buying of girls for prostitution declined by 65%. There is an increase of 10.5% in juvenile crimes from 2010(22,740) to 2011(25,125). As a result of such forced labor, children are often subjected to malnutrition, impaired vision, deformities and easy victims of deadly diseases like Tb, Cancer and AIDS.

Journal of National Development

Hasibul Rahaman

Dr. Saroj Kumar Singh

Dr Sandip Satbhai

International journal of applied research

Children in Indian society has always been a topic less spoken or discussed. The reasons of the same can be traced back to the socio-cultural background of the country. In the world children are taken as the greatest gift to humanity. Childhood is an important stage of human development as it holds the potential to the future of any society. Children who are brought up in an environment which is helpful to their intellectual, physical and social development will go on to be responsible and productive part of the society. Thus every society links its future to the present status of its children. Today child has been defined differently by different agencies as per their view and there is a very large gap and contradiction in these definitions. This paper attempts to give a brief overview of the magnitude of the issue from an Indian perspective. Some suggestions collected by the author, from academicians and also from the policy and plan documents about the way of eradicating the prob...

International Journal of Advance and Applied Research

Hari Krishnan

Child labour 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 as per ILO. The present paper caricature the issue of child labour prevelant in the east Delhi region. The different reasons of child labor prevelance were identified to be the lack of awareness, education, insensitivity from the societal member and negligence of instances of child labour which societal members have experienced in their life.

RELATED PAPERS

Acta bioquím. clín. …

Diego Forcato

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gerd Wallukat

orton.catie.ac.cr

Danilo Alpizar

Earth, Moon, and Planets

Saumitra Misra

martin Stephen

Personality and Individual Differences

Croatian journal of food science and technology

mayowa sanusi

Tekniikan Waiheita

Juho Kaitajärvi-Tiekso

yasmin khairy

Anthropology

Yani Taufik

Fouzia Benchikha

Tapas Kumar Samanta

Panneaux Solaire

Hydrobiologia

Josefa Velasco

Mosharafa: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika

Meidia sari

Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP

CLÉTON SALBEGO

Aurélien Francillon

International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research

FITRIA DWI PRASETYANINGTYAS

Global Journal of Health Science

Cynthia Cherian

Phytochemistry Letters

Philippe Simier

Rikke Schubart

Iranian Journal of Radiology

Behzad Aminzadeh

Virgílio Moreira

Journal of Nepal Chemical Society

Birendra Gautam

Information Technologies and Learning Tools

Vasyl KOROLOV

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, spatial analysis of child labour in india.

Journal of Children's Services

ISSN : 1746-6660

Article publication date: 28 May 2021

Issue publication date: 26 November 2021

This study on spatial analysis of child labour in India is a macro level analysis on child labour using the census data, 2011 of Government of India. The population census which is conducted once in 10 years only provides district level data on work-force distribution. The study has spatial analysis of child labour in the age group of 5–14 years in India. To assess the magnitude of the children in the labour force, district level data of Census 2011 has been used in the study. The study has made an attempt to identify the districts where there is high level of children in the labour force. This paper aims to estimate the magnitude and trends of children’s workforce participation using the census data as it is the only data base, which is available at the district level since 1961 onwards. The study has made an attempt to identify the clustering of child labour across districts in India and how child labour is clustered by different background characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has used ArcGIS software package, GeoDa software and local indicator of spatial association test.

The findings of study reveal that the proportion of rural, total fertility rate (TFR) and poverty headcount ratio is positively associated, whereas female literacy and the pupil-teacher ratio are negatively associated with child labour. It suggests that in the hot-spot areas and areas where there is a high prevalence of child labour, there is need to increase the teacher's number at the school level to improve the teacher-pupil ratio and also suggested to promote the female education, promote family planning practices to reduce TFR in those areas for reducing the incidences of child labour.

Research limitations/implications

The study also recommends that the incidences of child labour can be controlled by a comprehensive holistic action plan with the active participation of social workers.

Practical implications

The promulgation of effective legislation, active involvement of judiciary and police, political will, effective poverty alleviation and income generation programmes, sensitisation of parents, corporates and media can play effective role in mitigating the incidences of child labour in India. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025.

Social implications

The study aims to achieve the SDGs adopted by world leaders in 2015 to eradicate child labour in all its forms by 2025.

Originality/value

The study is purely original and there are no such studies in Indian context by using the latest software.

• Spatial analysis
• Child labour
• Excess risk
• District level

Acknowledgements

Funding: This research study did not receive any grants from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Prashad, L. , Dutta, M. and Dash, B.M. (2021), "Spatial analysis of child labour in India", Journal of Children's Services , Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 269-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-06-2019-0032

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

We’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

Care During Labour, Childbirth, and Immediate Newborn Care in India: A Review

• Review Article
• Published: 29 June 2023
• Volume 90 , pages 20–28, ( 2023 )

Cite this article

• Jogender Kumar 1 ,
• Shiv Sajan Saini 1 &
• Praveen Kumar   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4742-8787 1  

308 Accesses

2 Citations

2 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

India is committed to achieve a single-digit neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and stillbirth rate (SBR) by 2030 through India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) 2014. However, the current rate of decline is not enough to achieve the target neonatal mortality rate. Course correction and renewed efforts are required. This review outlines the current scenario and proposed scale-up of services included during labour, childbirth, and the immediate newborn period. The article summarises the challenges and bottlenecks in achieving a reduction in neonatal mortality rate and INAP targets. India has achieved over 80% coverage of three of the four ENAP coverage targets, but antenatal care coverage is still poor. There are concerns about the quality and completeness of antenatal care visits and other program interventions. The ongoing quality assurance should be strengthened through continuous supportive supervision by involving the medical colleges in a hub and spoke model and other key stakeholders. There is a need for effective and strategic engagement of the private sector in these initiatives. The states need to systematically assess the gaps as per population requirements and find effective solutions to overcome them quickly. The state and district-wise data maps show immense variations in coverage between states and within states, mirroring the variations in NMR. This indicates the need to ensure contextual micro-plans and provides an opportunity for the districts and states to learn from each other. The recent initiatives to strengthen primary healthcare should be used as a platform for all stillbirth and neonatal mortality prevention interventions in India.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

A global view of severe maternal morbidity: moving beyond maternal mortality

Global, regional, and national burden of neonatal sepsis and other neonatal infections, 1990–2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Preventing maternal mortality in the united states: lessons from california and policy recommendations.

Lahariya C, Paul VK. Burden, differentials, and causes of child deaths in India. Indian J Pediatr. 2010;77:1312–21.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Lahariya C, Sudfeld CR, Tomar SS. Causes of child deaths in India, 1985–2008: A systematic review of literature. Indian J Pediatr. 2010;77:1303–11.

Collaborators I-L. Subnational mapping of under-5 and neonatal mortality trends in India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2000–17. Lancet. 2020;395:1640–58.

Article   Google Scholar  

Dhaded SM, Saleem S, Goudar SS, et al. The causes of preterm neonatal deaths in India and Pakistan (PURPOSe): A prospective cohort study. Lancet Glob Health. 2022;10:e1575–81.

Article   PubMed   CAS   Google Scholar  

Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, et al. Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380:2095–128.

India Newborn Action Plan (INAP). National Health Mission. Available at: https://nhm.gov.in/images/pdf/programmes/inap-final.pdf . Accessed on 22 Jan 2023.

Ending Preventable Newborn Deaths and Stillbirths by 2030. WHO and UNICEF September 2020. Available at:  https://data.unicef.org/resources/resource-type/publications/ . Accessed on 23 May 2023.

Tyagi M, Hanson C, Schellenberg J, Chamarty S, Singh S. Hand hygiene in hospitals: An observational study in hospitals from two southern states of India. BMC Public Health. 2018;18:1299.

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

WASH in Health Care Facilities. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/wash-facilities . Accessed on 21 Oct 2022.

Chawanpaiboon S, Vogel JP, Moller A-B, et al. Global, regional, and national estimates of levels of preterm birth in 2014: A systematic review and modelling analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2019;7:e37–46.

WHO ACTION Trials Collaborators; Oladapo OT, Vogel JP, Piaggio G, et al. Antenatal Dexamethasone for early preterm birth in low-resource countries. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:2514–25.

Kankaria A, Duggal M, Chauhan A, et al. Readiness to provide antenatal corticosteroids for threatened preterm birth in public health facilities in northern India. Glob Health Sci Pract. 2021;9:575–89.

Menon R, Richardson LS. Preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes: A disease of the fetal membranes. Semin Perinatol. 2017;41:409–19.

Kenyon S, Boulvain M, Neilson JP. Antibiotics for preterm rupture of membranes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;8:CD001058.

National Rural Health Mission. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare GoI. Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) Trainer's Guide for conducting Training of Auxillary Nurse Midwives, Lady Health Visitors & Staff Nurses. Available at: http://tripuranrhm.gov.in/Guidlines/Staff_Nurses2.pdf . Accessed on 22 Jan 2023.

Rural Health Statistics 2020–21. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. GOI. Available at: https://main.mohfw.gov.in/newshighlights-90 . Accessed on 29 Apr 2023.

Training Status Report 2019–20. Mission Directorate NHM, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha. Available at: http://www.nrhmorissa.gov.in/writereaddata/Upload/Documents/Training%20Status%20Report%20.pdf . Accessed on 20 Mar 2023.

Dalal AR, Purandare AC. The partograph in childbirth: An absolute essentiality or a mere exercise? J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2018;68:3–14.

Palo SK, Patel K, Singh S, Priyadarshini S, Pati S. Intrapartum monitoring using partograph at secondary level public health facilities-A cross-sectional study in Odisha. India J Fam Med Prim Care. 2019;8:2685–90.

Sharma B, Lahariya C, Majella MG, et al. Burden, differentials and causes of stillbirths in India: A systematic review & meta analysis. Indian J Pediatr. 2023;in press.

Agarwal N, Lahariya C, Sharma B, et al. Stillbirth in India: Current status, challenges, and the way forward. Indian J Pediatr. 2023;in press.

Sharma B, Raina A, Kumar V, Mohanty P, Sharma M, Gupta A. Counting stillbirth in a community - To understand the burden. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2022;14:100977.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Darmstadt GL, Bhutta ZA, Cousens S, Adam T, Walker N, de Bernis L. Evidence-based, cost-effective interventions: how many newborn babies can we save? Lancet. 2005;365:977–88.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Annual Report 2020–21. Available at: https://main.mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Annual%20Report%202020-21%20English.pdf . Accessed on 29 Apr 2023.

Jasani B, Torgalkar R, Ye XY, Syed S, Shah PS. Association of umbilical cord management strategies with outcomes of preterm infants: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175:e210102.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Obstetric Practice. Delayed umbilical cord clamping after birth: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 814. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;136:e100–6.

Chowdhury A, Neogi SB, Prakash V, et al. Implementation of delayed cord clamping in public health facilities: A case study from India. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022;22:457.

Lunze K, Bloom DE, Jamison DT, Hamer DH. The global burden of neonatal hypothermia: Systematic review of a major challenge for newborn survival. BMC Med. 2013;11:24.

Muhe LM, McClure EM, Nigussie AK, et al. Major causes of death in preterm infants in selected hospitals in Ethiopia (SIP): A prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Lancet Glob Health. 2019;7:e1130–8.

Abiramalatha T, Ramaswamy VV, Bandyopadhyay T, et al. Delivery room interventions for hypothermia in preterm neonates: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175:e210775.

WHO Immediate KMC Study Group, Arya S, Naburi H, Kawaza K, et al. Immediate "Kangaroo Mother Care" and survival of infants with low birth weight. N Engl J Med. 2021;384:2028–38.

Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: Epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387:475–90.

Rollins NC, Bhandari N, Hajeebhoy N, et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Lancet. 2016;387:491–504.

Dandona R, Kumar GA, Bhattacharya D, et al. Distinct mortality patterns at 0–2 days versus the remaining neonatal period: Results from population-based assessment in the Indian state of Bihar. BMC Med. 2019;17:140.

Mundargi K, Hiregoudar V. Awareness about government maternal benefit schemes among pregnant women attending Anganawadi centres in North Karnataka. Int J Commun Med Public Health. 2021;8:4801–5.

Lahariya C, Roy B, Shukla A, et al. Community action for health in India: Evolution, lessons learnt and ways forward to achieve universal health coverage. WHO South East Asia J Public Health. 2020;9:82–91.

Lahariya C. “Ayushman Bharat” program and universal health coverage in India. Indian Pediatr. 2018;55:495–506.

Lahariya C, Khanna R, Nandan D, et al. Primary health care and child survival in India. Indian J Pediatr. 2010;77:283–90.

Lahariya C. Health & wellness centers to strengthen primary health care in India: Concept, progress and ways forward. Indian J Pediatr. 2020;87:916–29.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, Dr. Rodney P Vaz, and other technical staff at the Integrated Department of Health Policy, Epidemiology, Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at the Foundation for People-centric Health Systems for reviewing and providing input on the earlier version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Jogender Kumar, Shiv Sajan Saini & Praveen Kumar

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

PK conceived the idea and outline, and critically reviewed, revised and finalized the manuscript; JK and SSS wrote parts of the initial draft and revised as per feedback. PK will act as the guarantor for this manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Praveen Kumar .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest, additional information, publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Kumar, J., Saini, S.S. & Kumar, P. Care During Labour, Childbirth, and Immediate Newborn Care in India: A Review. Indian J Pediatr 90 (Suppl 1), 20–28 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-023-04721-7

Download citation

Received : 30 April 2023

Accepted : 05 June 2023

Published : 29 June 2023

Issue Date : December 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-023-04721-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Neonatal mortality
• Perinatal care
• Postnatal care
• Safe delivery practices
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research