India has a population of 1,166,079,217. Despite impressive economic growth over the last 5 years, the country faces pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, extensive poverty and environmental degradation. With an estimated 12.6 million children engaged in hazardous occupations, it is no surprise that India has the largest number of child labourers under the age of 14 in the world.
In order to feed themselves and in countless cases their families, many children resort to dangerous and badly paid jobs, such as train cleaning, rag picking, involvement in petty crime and the sex trade.
Children in these situations have few opportunities to think about the possibility of a better future. Getting access to education is difficult with 20 per cent of children aged 6 to 14 not attending school. There is discrimination against girls with many inequities rooted in gender and class. In addition, these children often find themselves in conflict with the authorities including the police, who not only do little to protect them, but who, at times, are directly responsible for their maltreatment and abuse.
