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Today, approximately 215 million children, many as young as five, are involved in child labor around the globe. Child labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. It involves work by children under conditions that are hazardous, illegal, or exploitative. The incidence of child labour is still very high in many less developed countries. India with all her richness and wealth is not free from this problem .The absence of a process of equitable distribution of the fruits of development along with the existence of abject poverty among a large section of the people of the country often stand on the way to the reduction of child labour from the economy. In India, according to Census, 2001, there are about 1.26 crore child laborers. They constitute 4.5 percent of the total child population (age 5-14 years) of India. About 8.57 lakh child laborers belong to the State of West Bengal i.e., they form about 7 percent of the total child workforce of the country.Up to August 2009, the children were provided with cooked midday meal @ Rs5/- per child per day. Now the nutrition component has been merged with mid day meal under SarvaSiksha Mission.
About the author
*ProhladRoyPh.D.M.A.(Beng)M.A.(Edu)M.A.(Sociology)M.A.(Pub-Admin)M.A.(DalitStudies)M.Sc. (Criminology)M.Sc. (Educational Technology)B.Ed.,Diploma in Journalism, NET(UGC)Deputy Director, Agro-Economic Research Centre, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, Member : NCF-2005, NCERT, MHRD, NCTE(ERC)**Mme Judith Kujur, B.A.(English) M.A.(English), B.Ed., M.Ed,
