A Study of Child Work in India and Selected States

Child labour represents a fundamental abuse of child rights and a violation of international as well as national laws. It is often performed at the cost of education which has detrimental effect on the accumulation of human capital. Moreover, there is a complete dearth of research in India which utilizes the large scale sample survey and explores the issue of child work and school attendance at a greater depth. In this regard India’s third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-III) conducted in 2005-06 has collected for the very first time an extensive data on child work which has been utilized in the present study. The specific objectives of the study are to describe the pattern of child work in India and selected states, by type and hours of work and by background characteristics at individual, parental and household level. Clustering of child work in a family by socio-economic factors and further, association of child’s schooling and work status and factors associated with work activity has also been examined. The book is particularly useful to the academicians, professional and policy planners working on the plight of child labourers in India