Building The Case for Zero: India's Crackdown On Child Labour Sets Global Example

New Delhi: As the world struggles to meet its 2025 goal of ending child labour under Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, India is showing what's possible. A new report, ‘Building the Case for Zero, as a Tipping Point to End Child Labour', released by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB), highlights how legal action and community support to rescue children and hold offenders accountable. The data has been collected by Partners of Just Rights for Children network. While 138 million children globally remain in child labour, India is proving that real change is within reach.

Between 2024–25, a total of 53,651 children were rescued across India. Among them, 8,749 were traced missing children, and 90 per cent were found to be engaged in the worst forms of child labour. The states with the highest number of rescues were Telangana (11,063), followed by Bihar (3,974), Rajasthan (3,847), Uttar Pradesh (3,804), and Delhi (2,588).

In cases of sexual exploitation, 2,971 children were rescued, with West Bengal leading with 1,005 cases, followed by significant numbers from Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

A total of 27,320 rescue operations were conducted nationwide. Of these, 86 per cent targeted child labour, 10 per cent addressed sexual exploitation, and 4 per cent focused on child begging.

In terms of missing children, 11,409 cases were identified, and 8,749 children were successfully traced. The top states for tracing missing children included West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Bihar.

Legal action was taken in all 27,320 cases, resulting in 9,595 FIRs (35 per cent) and 6,959 GD (General Diary) entries (25 per cent). There was a 92 per cent conversion rate from GDs to FIRs. A total of 5,809 arrests were made, with 85 per cent related to child labour cases. The leading states in terms of arrests were Telangana (2,247), Bihar (790), and Rajasthan (573).

India's response to child labour has been unprecedented. Through the Just Rights for Children network which is active in across 24 states and over 450 districts, civil society has partnered with legal systems to initiate legal action in every rescue case. This level of legal follow-through, be it FIRs, arrests, or court challans, is unprecedented and essential. As the JRC model shows, rescue without prosecution is no justice at all.

The initiative combines legal enforcement with community engagement, survivor rehabilitation, and systemic advocacy. RTI data analysis has been central to this approach, offering a transparent view of FIR registration trends and exposing enforcement gaps.

For instance, states like Telangana, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh boast 100 per cent FIR conversion rates, while others like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh lag significantly, highlighting uneven implementation. India's legal response is backed by a steady framework:

Constitutional Safeguards: Articles 21A, 23(1), 24, and 39 ensure education, ban trafficking and child labour, and uphold dignity.

Key Laws:

• The Child Labour Amendment Act (2016), JJ Act (2000), and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023) empower enforcement bodies to criminalise and prosecute trafficking, sexual exploitation, and forced labour.
• ILO Convention No. 182: India ratified the global agreement on eliminating the worst forms of child labour in 2017.

Challenges That Remains

Despite progress, key gaps remain. States like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh show weak enforcement, while some regions fail to convert complaints into legal action. Poor documentation, including missing Form 17s and SDM orders, persists. In states like Odisha and Punjab, high rescue numbers contrast with few arrests, highlighting weak follow-up.

The PICKET Framework

India's path forward has been guided by the PICKET strategy:

• P – Policy: Enact and enforce strict anti-child labour laws.
• I – Interagency Coordination: Mobilise police, CSOs, judiciary, media.
• C – Capacity Building: Train systems in trauma-informed care.
• K – Knowledge & Awareness: Launch public education campaigns.
• E – Economic Empowerment: Support at-risk families with education and livelihood.
• T – Technology: Monitor and dismantle online trafficking networks.

India's fight against child labour is proving that real change is possible. Through strong legal action, community support, and the PICKET strategy, the country is setting a global example. While challenges in enforcement remain, India's model offers a clear path forward as the world strives to meet the 2025 goal.