Educational Research (ISSN: 2141-5161) Vol. 2(6) pp. 1199-1209 June 2011 Available online@ http://www.interesjournals.org/ER Copyright © 2011 International Research Journals Full Length Research Paper “Child Labour”- A Product of Socio-Economic Problem for India, Findings and Preventives- A Case of Bhubabaneswar (A State Capital of India) *Sanjay Mohapatra and Manusmita Dash Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubanswar-751013, India Accepted June 05, 2011 It has been observed in India and other countries, that the practice of ‘child labor’ is a socio- economic problem. Many appalling realities like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, low wages, ignorance, social prejudices, regressive traditions, poor standard of living, backwardness, superstition, low status of women have combined to give birth to the terrible practice of child labor. The prevalence of child labour is one of the most important problems confronting the world at large, especially developing countries such as India. In many cases, child labour is mainly necessitated by economic compulsions of the parents. The main reason which gives rise to child labour is widespread unemployment and underemployment among the adult poor strata of the population, inter alia, due to sharp growth of population. Large families with low income and often lack of educational facilities, illiteracy and ignorance of parents about the importance of education as well as about the impact of labour on the health of their children are some of the reasons which breed child labour. Keywords: Social evil, organized sector; unorganized sector, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, labour legislation. INTRODUCTION SHRI V.V. Giri – the former president of India has arrived ten, muscles till the age of seventeen and his lungs till the on two concepts of child labour- first as a bad economic age of fourteen. To be more specific, any activity which practice and second as an overt social evil. In the first, it acts as a hazard for the natural growth and enhancement is involvement of a child labour in profitable activities to of these vital organs can be considered harmful for augment the family income. The second context, namely natural human growth and development and termed – child labour a social evil – is more complex in nature and “Child Labour”. extent. In order to assess the nature of the evil, and Over the years, however, global consciousness about gauge the extent of damage, it becomes necessary to the seriousness of the problem has been created. The understand the character of the job in which the child is constitution of India also committed to the protection and engaged, the dangers to which they are exposed and the promotion of the welfare considerations over the development opportunities they are denied. Technically economic ones. Therefore, series of committees and the term ‘Child Labour” is used for children occupied in commissions have been appointed by the Government of profitable activities, whether industrial or non industrial. It India either specifically on the question of child labour, is especially applicable for activities which are detrimental which gives us insights into the problem and to give to their physical, psychological, emotional, social and suggestions to alleviate this problem. Policies of modern moral development needs. It has been researched and governments in relation to child labour and child proven that the brain of a child develops till the age of development must be pragmatic and comprehensive. Any child out of school is a child labour. The contributing considerable amount of the Gross definition of child labour therefore encompasses Domestic Product. The *Corresponding author email: [email protected], term “child labour” is at every non-school going child [email protected] irrespective of times used as a synonym for employed 1200 Educ. Res. child. ”Whether the child is engaged in wage or not-this This is the ‘poverty’ argument as a most important period sense, it is co-extensive with any work done, wage work of life. During this period of child labour, the problem or whether he or she is working for by the child for a gain. exists in almost all period moulding and shaping of the But more commonly than the family of others, employed life, take place in all countries of the world but its scale in hazardous or not, the term ‘child labour’ is used in varies from and the behaviour, conduct and sentiments pejorative non-hazardous occupations, employed on a from country to country. However, the predominance is day sense. It suggests something, which is hateful wage developed. Paradoxically, it is unfortunate to say of child or on a contract basis, is a child labour. Thus, Homer labour in many Third World countries that tragically most Floks, (Chairman of the United States Child Labour) the of the child life is lost and continues to be quite Factories Act of 1948 defining that “a person below the pronounced, even though poverty, destitution, age of 14 years is to be regarded as a Committee, malnutrition and poor and reliable data are limited. India defined child labour “as work by child. Therefore, any has the largest unhygienic conditions, largely in the rural physical labour undertaken children that interferes with sector population of child labourers compared to the their full physical by a child below 14 years either under urban counterpart. Nearly seven per cent of the work compulsion development, their opportunities for desirable force are Child labour, and is mainly necessitated by or voluntarily in an organized or unorganized minimum of economic compulsions of the parents in many cases of education or their needed qualifies to be called as ‘child the children. The main reason which give rise to child labour.’ Child labour became a global phenomenon. The labour are widespread of absolute poverty, prevalence of child labour is more or less today and is unemployment and underemployment among the adult ‘harsh reality. ‘The ‘harsh reality’ is seen in all periods of workers, large families, lack of educational facilities, time, it varies in nature and child labour arises out of the illiteracy and ignorance of parents about the importance fact that in the dimension depending on the existing of education as well as about the impact of labour on the sociopresent state of development in the country, health of their children are some of the reasons which economic structure of society. Children are the many breed child labour. Diverting the child from work means parents on account of poverty, have to blooming flowers the loss of income to the parents and as additional of the garden of society and send their children to work in expenditure on education, however small. The economic order to supplement valuable asset of a nation. Since benefits resulting from child employment are generally 2002, World Education has been using education to high as it generates an income, which is higher than what address abusive forms of child labor. The International is consumed in the family. Probably this is one of the Labor Organization defines child labor as "work situations reasons where workers do not feel that it is useful to send where children are compelled to work on a regular basis their children, to schools. Furthermore, there are some to earn a living for themselves and their families, and as a factors due to which employers also favour child labours. result are disadvantaged educationally and socially; In the light of the above, a major reason for hiring where children work in conditions that are exploitative children seems to be that non-economic children are and damaging to their health and to their physical and easier to manage because they are less aware of their mental development; where children are separated from rights, less troublesome, less prone to complaint, more their families, often deprived of educational and training trustworthy, less likely to absent themselves from work opportunities; where children are forced to lead and no problem of unions. prematurely adult lives. "The worst forms of child labor are those situations where children work more than nine Literature Review hours in a day; earn less than a minimum wage or no wages at all; work in hazardous conditions for health and Vibhakar (2009), has highlighted about child labour. In safety; have no access to education; and, work outside of India, it is an extensive human right issue. Naidu and their family's home. World Education and its partners are Ramaiah (2006), discussed about the prevalence of child reaching those children in the worst forms of child labor, labour which is one of the most important problem including those exploited for the commercial sex industry confronting the world at large. A study of the Committee and other forms of bonded labor in Africa and Asia. World on child labour (1979) appointed by the Ministry of Education is also working with children at risk of Labour, Government of India examined various becoming child laborers, which means they are not dimensions of child labour in different occupations. The enrolled in school; they are victims of domestic violence; study revealed that the incidence of child labour was they are orphaned or have only one parent; and, they are highest in Andhra Pradesh, where it accounted for about vulnerable to sexual exploitation. 9 percent of the total labour force, 9.2 per cent of the total They constitute their income and the income derived child population and 3.7 percent the of the total from the hidden treasure of potential development of a population of the state in 1971. The child labour was child labour, however, meager is essential to growing more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. The nation, childhood has been considered to sustain the participation of children in the labour force in the age family.