An English Project

on

Submitted by

Name :

Class : XII

Register No :

Year : 2023– 2024

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I acknowledge my whole hearted gratitude to my beloved

English Teachers Mr.Venkatesh and Mr.Lenin Babu supporting

and guiding me.

I thank our beloved Director Shri.M.V.M. SASIKUMAR for

being my motivational force for the completion of this project

I extend my thanks to Principal, Shri.G. Prabhakaran for

his benevolent nature. I am extremely grateful to him for his

guidance.

I also extend my thanks to my batchmates and friends

for their helpful observations and elucidation in this project.

I thank the school for providing me all the facilities for

completion of this project.

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude

towards my parents for their kind co-operation and

encouragement which helped me in the completion of the project.

This is to certify Master /Miss ……………………………………… of grade XII has

successfully done and submitted the English project work

as per the requirement of AISSCE during the academic year 2023-2024.

DATE :

PLACE :

PRINCIPAL INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

 CONTENT

• WHAT IS CHILD LABOUR

• TYPES OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
• CAUSES OF RISING INSTANCES OF CHILD
LABOUR IN INDIA
• CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
• EFFECTS/IMPACTS OF CHILD LABOUR ON
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA
• CHILD LABOUR LAWS IN INDIA
• ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN
FIGHTING CHILD LABOUR
• HOW TO ELIMINATE AND STOP CHILD LABOUR
IN INDIA
• BIBLOGRAPHY
 WHAT IS CHILD LABOUR ?
Child labour typically means the employment of children in any
manual work with or without payment. Child labour is not only
limited to India, it happens to be a global phenomenon.

As far as India is concerned, the issue is a vicious one as

children in India have historically been helping parents at their
farms and other primitive activities. Another concept that needs
explanation is the concept of bonded labour which is one of the
most common forms of exploitation. Bonded labour means the
children are forced to work as employees in lieu of payment of
debt by the parents due to exorbitant rates of repayment of
interest.

Also associated with the concept of bonded labour is the

concept of urban child labour in India wherein the labouers are
the street children who spend most of their childhood on the
streets.
UNICEF has categorized child work into three
categories:

1. Within the family- Children are engaged in

domestic household tasks without pay.

2. Within the family but outside the

home- Example- agricultural labourers,
domestic maids, migrant labourers etc.

3. Outside the family- Example- commercial

shops in restaurants and jobs, prostitution
etc.
Types of Child Labour in India
Child labors in India could be ma inly classified into two categortes of

industrial, aomestic and bonded child labors. Below we will go througn tne

details of the mentioned Indian sectors employing children as labors along

with the demograph ics.

INDUSTRIAL CHILD LABOR

trial sector in India is the largest employer of children below the legal age of
18. Approximately, over 10 Million children between the age g roup of 5 to 14
years are working in informal or small industries, including around 4.5 Million
girls. Small enterprises like garment industry, brick kiln, agriculture, fireworks
industries, diamond industries etc, constitute some of tne largest employer of
children. Sometimes such industries operate from homes, making it difficult
for the authorities to take appropriate actions.

The owners of such small businesses prefer children as they are easy to handle
and easy to fire.

BONDED CHILD LABOUR

Bonded child labour means as a child who is employed forcibly to pay off a
debt of his parents or a guardian. Though the numbers of bonded child labors
have considerably declined in recent past due strict government supervision
and laws banning it, it is silently followed in isolated and remote places.

There were thousands of bonded labors engaged in various industries, till the
past decade, but today the numbers have reduced drastically, and the
government claims that there are no more bonded child labors in India.
This is made possible due to laws banning child labor and a compulsory child
education and by the joint efforts of UNICEF (United Nations Children
Emergency Fund), NGOs and other relevant agencies.
CAUSES OF RISING INSTANCES
OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
Over population, illiteracy, poverty, debt trap are some of the
common ca uses which are instrumental in this issue.

Overburdened, debt-trapped parents fail to understand the

importance of a normal childhood under the pressures of their
own troubles and thus it leads to the poor emotional and mental
balance of a child’s brain which is not prepared to undertake
rigorous field or domestic tasks.

According to UNICEF children are employed because they

can be easily exploited. By considering various causes of
child labour, we can make a strategy to curb or eliminate
child labour in India.
 CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA

The curse of poverty

The main reason for child labour in India is poverty. Most of the country’s
population suffers from poverty. Due to poverty, parents cannot afford the
studies of their children and make them earn their wages from a tender age.
In fact, they are well aware of the grief of losing their loved ones to poverty many
times. They send their small children to work in factories, homes and shops. They
are made to work to increase the income of their poor families at the earliest.
These decisions are taken only for tne purpose of eking out a living for their
family. But such decisions shatter children's physical and mental state as they
lose their childhood at an early age.

Lack of educational resources

Even after so many years of our country's independence, there are instances
where children are deprived of their fundamental right to education. There are
thousands of villages in our country where there are no proper facilities of
education. And if there is any, it is miles away. Such administrative laxity is also
responsible for child la born in India. The worst sufferers are the poor families for
whom getting their children educated is a d ream.

Sometimes the lack of affordable school for the education of poor children
leaves them illiterate and helpless. Children are forced to live without
studying. And sometimes such compulsions push them into the trap of child labour
in India.
Social and economic backwardness

Social and economic backwardness is also the main reason for child labour in
India. Socially backward parents do not send their children to receive
education. Consequently, their children are trapped in child labour. Due to
illiteracy, many times parents are not aware of various information and
schemes for child education. Lack of education, illiteracy and consequently the
lack of awareness of their rights among them have encouraged child labour.

Also, uneducated parents do not know about the impact of child labour on
their children. The conditions of poverty and unemployment give rural
families a compulsive basis for engaging children in various tasks. In fact,
feudal, zamindari system and its existing remnants continue to perpetuate
the problem of child labour in India.

Discrimination between boys and girls

We have been conditioned into believing that girls are weaker and there is no
equal comparison between boys and girls. Even today, in our society, we will
find many examples where girls are deprived of studies. Considering g iris
weaker than boys deprives them of school and education. In labourer families,
girls are found to be engaged in labour along with their parents.
EFFECTS/IMPACTS OF CHILDLABOUR
ON SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA
Child labour is a serious hindrance to social and economical
development of the nation. Children employed in various sectors
fail to get necessary education, virtually forced to leading a life of
hardship and poverty. It also affects one overall health of a child,
as children get exhausted easily and are not physically fit to work
for longer durations under difficult conditions.

Children employee in gaps and fire cracker industries work not only for
longer hours but also under hazardous conditions, seriously
compromising their health. They are continuously exposed to toxic
gases and substances leading to various skin and respiratory
ailment’s.

Children who are forced into the labour industry are unable to fend for
themselves and grow up as an individual who cannot productively
contribute to the society. Moreover, for a nation's economy to be
progressive, it is imperative that its workforce is educated and skilled, to
cater to different sectors; which is a distant reality as long as child labor
exists.

As long as the Children are employed as labors, India cannot successfully

eradicate poverty and illiteracy. Sending children to schools instead of work
could have large economical and social benefits in long run. Educated
children acquire necessary skills and higher paying jobs, 1 ihing them and
the nation out of the clutches of poverty.
CHILD LABOUR LAWS IN INDIA

The problem of child labour in India had become an issue of

concern for one and all post Independence. The drafting
committee of the India constitution wanted to formulate laws on
their own without seeking recommendations from other countries
with this regard. Since, India had been under the exploitative
regime of the British, it only made sense that the provisions were
devised keeping in mind the forms of exploitative labour that India
had witnessed under the atrocious regime.

The primitive laws that were formed to prohibit child labour in

India were when the Employment of Child ren Act, 1938 was
passed. But this act failed miserably because it failed to address
the cause of poverty as it is poverty that drives children into forced
labour.

The Indian Parliament time and again has passed Laws and Acts
to ensure the protection of children from child labour in India. The
Fundamental Rights enshrined in our Constitution prohibit child
labour below tne age of l4 years in any factor or mine or engaged
in any hazardous employment under Article 24. Apart from this, it
is also provided under Article 21-A that State shall provide
infrastructure and resources for free and compulsory education for
children of the age six upto 14 years.
There exists a set of laws which under the Constitution govern the
protection of children from child labour. The Factories Act of 194B
prevents the employment of children below J4 years in any factory.
The Mines Act of J9S2 prohibits the employment of children below
the age of J8 years. The Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation)
Act ofl9B6 prevents the employment of children below the age of
14 years in life-threatening occupations identified in a list by the
law. Further, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of children
Act of 2OOO made the employment of children a punishable
offence.

Ironically, despite this hupe array of laws, there seems to be no

improvement in the working conditions of the child labourers and
employers also freely flout the provisions of the Act covering the
prohibition of child labour in India.

The law also isn’t very clear as to how where can the children
work. The Acts covers only 10 percent of the total working
children and thus not applicable to the unorganized sector.

The Act also exempts the family of the child labourer from its
purview if they all are working with the same employee as that of
the child. Although the Act prohibits the employment of children
in certain hazardous industries and processes, it does not define
what constitutes hazardous work. It only provides a list of
hazardous occupations.
ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
IN FIGHTING CHILD LABOUR
The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
(IPECL) was launched under the programme of International
Labour Organization in 1991 to work towards the elimination of
child labour by creating awareness about child labour as a global
issue using national platforms. India was among the first nations
to sign the MOU with IPECL to help in combating child labour.

National Labour Project (NCLP) is one of the major programmes

implemented throughout the country under wnich seven child
labour projects were set up in the year 1988. Rehabilitation is also
one of the major policies that have been adopted by the
government of India to reduce the incidence of child labour in
India.

Unfortunately, the concerned authorities are unable to combat the

rising cases of child labour because of varied reasons. They fail to
establish the correct age if the child due to the lack of birth proofs
and at times fa ke proofs. Not much is being done on creating the
awareness among people. Even if efforts are being made, they
cater to a limited population and the endurance among the
authorities is not visible. A lot of laxity can be observed during the
conduct of awareness programmes. There is still a neeo to address
the issue on global platforms time and again with stringent policy
framework in place.
HOW TO ELIMINATE AND STOP AND
CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA
Abolition of child trafficking, elimination of poverty, free and

compulsory education, and basic standards of living can reduce

the problem to a great extent. The World Bank and International

Monetary Fund can help in eradicating poverty by providing loan

to the developing countries.

Strict implementation of labour laws is also essential in order to

prevent exploitation by parties or multinational companies. Lot

many amendments are required in the present child labour

prohibition law in order to implement strict measures to control

the situation. The minimum of age of fourteen years needs to be

increased to at least eighteen. The list of hazardous activities

which are present in the law needs to include more occupations

which have been left out of the purview of the hazardous activities.
Let's learn how to stop and solve the problem of child labour in

India:

• To prevent child labour, incidence of poverty needs to be

reduced first, so that poor people do not have to send their

children to earn their bread and butter.

• Spreaaing literacy and education is a potent weapon against

the practice of child labour in India, because illiterate persons

do not understand the implications of child labour.

• Another way to stop child labour in India is to eliminate or

rein in unemployment. Because of inadequate employment,

many families cannot afford to meet all their expenses. If

employment opportunities are increased, they will be able to

let their children read and write and become worthy citizens.
• We will have to play the role of a conscious customer. Many

times we go to the market and shop for our necessities,

without knowing that there may be child labour practice

behind the texture of that stuff. Why not form a habit from

today that whenever we purchase any goods, we ask the

shopkeeper about the technique used in their manufacture.

Most shopkeepers may not know the answer to this question,

but we can take one step from our side. We can create a

sensible environment in the society by tnese inquiries. And

say No to the use of something made of child labour. It may

seem a little odd, but this can bring a big change in our

society.

• Let the parents of the children know the consequences of

child labour. If we find any child labour somewhere near us,

first we should talk to the family of that child. Empathizing

with their conditions, we should tell them about the bleak

future of their child in case of continuance of this practice.

• Owners of factories and shops should take a vow that they

will not force any child to do labour and stop other people

from doing the same.

• To prevent child labour in India, we need proper

implementation of laws that prescribe strict punishment to

vendors, shopkeepers and mill owners in case they engage

children on cheap wages.

• There should also be more robust and stricter laws for child

labour in India, so that the people fear from employing any

child labour.

• Poor parents should pay full attention to the education of

their children because today tne government is providing

free education, food, and even medicines in certain schools.

• They should not make any difference between boys and

girls. By this practice, the number of girl child labour in

India can be reduced to a great extent.

 BIBLOGRAPHY

https://www.slideshare.net/AryanNaglot/class
-12-english-project-on-child-labour
THANK YOU !