Decrease in Child Labour

The Government is following a robust multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem of child labour. It comprises of statutory and legislative measures, rescue and rehabilitation, universal primary education alongwith social protection, poverty alleviation and employment generation schemes. The objective is to create an environment where families are not compelled to send their children to work. As per 2001census, the total number of working children between the age group 5-14 years in the country was 1.26 crore. However, in the Survey conducted by NSSO, in 2004-05 the numbers of working children were estimated at 90.75 lakh. As per NSSO survey 2009-10, the working children are estimated at 49.84 lakh which shows a declining trend.
        As per the information received from UNICEF, they have estimated total child population (0-18 years) in India in 2010 as 447 million of which 11.8 per cent of children in age group 5-14 years are engaged in labour. However, as per NSSO survey 2009-10, the working children in the age group of 5-14 years are estimated at 4.98 million.
  
Under the Child Labour Policy, Government of India follows a multi-pronged approach with the following three major elements:

•  Legal Action Plan
•  Focus on general development programmes for the benefit of the families of child labour &
•  Project-based action in areas of high concentration of child labour.
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