Lucknow: With over 8 lakh children aged between 5-6 years in India engaged in Child labour, over 5 lac don’t attend school. A report of CRY suggests that majority of these children are laboured in the family-based employment.
HT reports, Uttar Pradesh ranked number 1 with 2,50,672 children engaged in labour, followed by Bihar with 1,28,087 children and Maharashtra where the number stands at 82,847, with the information released on Saturday.
Komal Ganotra, director, policy, research and advocacy CRY says, “Early childhood lays the foundation of cognitive, physical, socio-emotional development. The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), which was introduced with the intent of providing a strong base to these children, is marred by limited reach as it covers only 50 per cent of this population. Thus many children in this age group are seen accompanying their parents to their workplace or end up living with minimal care.”
“There are many cases where children are forced to migrate with their parents and help them in their occupations such as working in brick kilns. High level of poverty and unemployment coupled with a lack of adequate social security net compel parents to allow their children to work, compromising with their learning,” she adds.