Key Integrants of Child Labor in India: An Exploratory Inquiry

Abstract

Human capital formation is considered important factor for the growth and development of an economy. Children form the foundation of human capital but if they are engaged as a labor in the economy, the future of any country cannot be imagined. Good education and health are very important parameters for human capital formation but the evil of child labor takes away these opportunities from the children and puts them in the dark world of poverty and exploitation. This paper is an attempt to reflect upon the current state of Indian economy in terms of child labor and its relevant integrants. Firstly, two specific antecedents of child labor have been discussed which are poverty and illiteracy. Second section deals with the causes, consequences and impact of labor on the child within three separate subheadings. Third section provides factual insights of the share of children in Indian labor figures as per census 2011. The last section discusses the holistic approach to the gravity of this problem and proposes the long term and short term policies to the government for elimination of child labor. In the conclusion section, future directions of this research are also provided for further investigations.