62 CHAPTER 2 CHILD LABOUR: A STATISTICAL PROFILE 2.0 Introduction The world population of working children has yet to be counted accurately, because as it is often illegal and clandestine, child labour lies beyond the reach of official labour statistics. It is therefore difficult to present an accurate estimate of the overall magnitude of child labour in India. As, revealed in the preceding chapter, various agencies have estimated the magnitude oftchild labour in varying proportions on account.of numerous limitations mainly the predominance of the informal nature of labour market, multiplicity of concepts and source of data etc. However, the official estimation of child labour relies on the census statistics. Therefore, to understand the extent and composition of child labour in general and economic participation of girl child in particular, ‘the Census Data were used and findings of the analysis were presented in this chapter. 21 Child Labour in India: Inter-State Situation With the increasing rate of industrialisation and modernisation, the incidence of child labour in India has increased considerably. The 1991 census of India identified 11.28 million children as workers. Over 9 million of them, were main workers (involved in full time activities) and 2.2 million were marginal workers (e., they were not working on a full time basis). They together constituted 5.4 percent of the total child population (5 to 14 Years of age) in India, recording an increase of 0.2 percent over the 1981 Census. While’ in the main workers, the girl’s share was 37.6 percent, in the marginal workers they constituted as high as 76.1 percent. According to the 1991 census, the total population of India was 838.56 millions in which child population of 5 to 14 years of age group was 95 percent (209.8 millions). ‘The State-wise distribution of child workers (main) is presented in Table 2.1. Ranks were assigned to the States as per the percentage of child workers to total‘State-Wise Distribution of Child Workers in India 1991 ‘Table 21 63 7 Percentage of Child Workers (main) to S.No. State ‘Total ‘Total Total ‘ : Workers | ®2"* | chntdren | R#* | Poputation | Rank 1_| Andhra Pradesh_ 5.4 1 9.2 1 23 1 2. | Karnataka 47 2 74 2 18 2 3._| Meghalaya 43 3 6.6 3 17 3 4.—| Madhya Pradesh [40] a [60 [4 15 4 5._| Assam_ 37 5 4.3 9 42 6 6._| Rajasthan 336 [41 _|-ar Li 7 7. Sikkim 3.2 7 49 7 13 Ss 8. | Nagaland 3.1 8 5.2 6 13, 3 9. Orissa 3.1 8B 42 10. 1.0. 8 10._| Bihar 3.1 8g 3.4 14 09 9 11, [Arunachal Pradesh [30 [9 | 33_[5 13 5 12,_| West Bengal 29 10. 35 13 0.9 9 13.__| Uttar Pradesh 28 A 3 5 08 10 14._| Maharashtra 26 12 43 9 1.0 8 [1s.— | Gujorath 2.6, 12 37 12 09 9 16. | Tamilnadu 23 13 4A 3 09 9 17-_| Punjab 22 14 28 17 06 12 18._| Mizoram 22 [ 443712 09) 5 19. | Haryana 19 | 1s 2.1 [19 05 15 20. | Manipur 19 15 3.0 16. 07 i 21._| Tripura 17 [16] 19 [20 05 13 22.__| Himachal Pradesh 17 16. 25 18, 0.6 12. 23. | Goa 1.0 17 16 2 03 14 24, | Delhi 09 18, 12 22 0.3 14 25. _| Kerala 03 19 05 23 1 1S. Union Territories. Dadrad Nagar Haveli 44 1 8.0 1 19 1 2. Daman & Dig 23 2 3 2 07 2 3.__| Pondichery 09) 3 15 3 03 3 4._| Chandigarh 08 4 14 4 03 3 “Andaman & > 5. Nocobar Islands 08 4 LL 5 03 3 ©_[Lakshadeep a 3_[o1 [6 0.03 a India 32 43 dd Source: Census of India 1991 Series I - India. Pa II-B.Scries. Economic Tables ‘Volume-1. Tables B-1(S), B-2(S), B-3(S), B-4(S), Part A&B. India, States and Union Territories. P-76-171.64 workers, child population and total population. It can be noted from this table that Andhra Pradesh was ranked Ist among all the States including the Union Territories of India in the percentage of child workers in terms of . .. all the three variables viz., total workers, total children and total population. The incidence of child labour in ‘Andhra Pradesh was so high that the difference in the percentages of child labour between A.P and the State with 2” rank (i.e., Karnataka) was larger than the difference in the percentages of child’ labour between any other two States in India, The higher the incidence of child labour, more could be the illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and backwardness. Kerala, with its highest literacy rate in India, accounted for the lowest percentage of child labour in India. Kerala's percentages of child labour in total workers, total children and total population were 0.3, 0.5 and 0.1 respectively against 5.4, 9.2 and 2.3 of Andhra Pradesh. Further, Table 2.2 presents the details of States and districts having the ~ maximum and the minimum percentage shares of working children. From the table, it can be noted that among the major States, the share of India’s working children varies from 14,7 percent in Andhra Pradesh to a mere 0.30 percent in Kerala. It means that one child worker for every 6.8 child workers in India, lives in Andhra Pradesh. The volume of working children within each State also varies from district to district. The proportion of working children in total workérs in Andhra: Pradesh across districts varies from 8.1 percent in Mahaboobnagar district to 1.7 percent in Hyderabad district. However, while child workers percentage in Mahaboobnagar district consists of both rural and urban children, Hyderabad has only urban children, as there is no rural area in this district. 2.2 Rural- Urban Differences of Child Labour in India Majority of the child workers in India, i.e., about 90 percent were in the rural areas. During the census decade from 198} to 1991, due to the expansion of urbanization there was a rise in the male child workers in the urban sector from 9.9 Percent to 12.4 percent and a corresponding dedsease in the rural sector from 90.1 percent to 87.6 percent (see Table 2,3). However, the percentage of girl child workersTable 22 65 Intra ~ State and Inter-State Differences in the Incidence of Child Labour, 1991 ‘SLNo. | India/Biggest States Maximum Value Minimum Vi 1 _| India ‘Andhra Pradesh (14-7) __| Kerala (0.30) 2_| Andhra Pradesh ihaboobnagar (8.1) Hyderabad (1.7) 3. | Assam Nagion (8.7) North Cochar Hills (0.4) a | Bihar Saharsa GH) Tohardaga (0.6) 3. | Gujarath Punch Mahab (11.9) ‘Gandhinagar (0.3) 6. | Kamataka Dharwad (9:8) Kodagu 0.6) 7. [Kerala Palakkad (16.9) Pathanamthitta (2.1) &_ | Madhya Pradesh Bastar (74) Datia (0.4) 9,__ | Maharashtra Nanded (65) ‘Sindudurg (0.5) 710. | Orissa Korapur (20.2) Baleshwar G3) Ti. | Punjab “Amritsar (15.6) Rupnagar (1.9) 72. _ | Rajasthan Jaipur (69) Jaisalmer (0.6) 13, | Tamil Nadu Salem (3) Kanniyakumari (0.8) 14, | Uttar Pradesh ‘Allahabad 3.9) Untarkashi (0-3) 15.__| West Bengal Medinipar (14.7) Darling (1.5) (Figures in brackets are percentage of children in work force). Source: Census of hi ‘Working Children in India. An analysis of the 1991 Census Data”. A stu inthe Anal Registrar General, India, New Dehli, November, 1998.66 has not changed in the same proportion. A slight increase (0.7 percent) in the urban sector was recorded from 6.7 percent to 7.4 percent, Urbanization could not attract the irl workers from the countryside, Rather, the opportunities provided by the process of urbanization could not reach the orbit of rural girl workers, Due to the traditional conventions, superstitions, poverty, illiteracy, helping adults in the household chores, providing cheap labour in a variety of menial agricultural operations, the mobility of girl workers was restricted and they accounted for more than 92 percent in rural India, Table23 Region -Wise Distribution of Child Workers in India, 1981-1991 1981 (%) 1991 (%) Region Male Female Total Male Female Toul Rural [901 933 O11 876 926 oS Urban | 99 67 a9 Y [ia 74 105 Toul | 100 100 100 100 100 100 Souree: Census of India ~ 1991 op.cit., p.76 t0 78. Census of India - 1981 Series 1 - India. General Economic Tables (B.1 to B.S). p.134. 2.3. Occupational Distribution of Child Labour in India The censys data relating to this aspect are presented in Table 2.4, As per the table, over 82 percent of girls were engaged in agriculture directly, in 1991. Within agricultural sector, 52 percent were employed as agricultural labourers and about 30 percent were cultivators. During the decade of 1981 and 1991, there was not much change in the composition of girl child workers in the main industrial activities in India, Out of around 77 percent of male child workers in agricultural activities, about 38 percent were engaged as agricultural labourers and 39 percent were cultivators. Household industry, which comprises mainly the industries of Beedi-making, weaving, knitting, carpet making etc. generally engage the labour with a large component of female workers though their percentage in the total child workers was 5.3 in 1981 and 4.6 in 1991. Yet the percentage of girl workers was two times (4.6) that of male child workers (2.1) in 1991. The activity of “other very limited i67 workers” shown in the table include factory workers, plantation workers, those engaged in trade, commerce, business, mining, transport, construction and a variety of other services. While 1/5 of the total male child workers were engaged in this category of occupations, the corresponding proportion of girl workers was only 1/8 during the period. Even considering all workers including adults, it is found that more female workers are engaged in agricultural sector (abbut 78.8 percent against 60.7 percent of male workers) which relatively employs ‘more illiterate people. Similarly, it is also found that more male workers are engaged in the category of other workers’ (about 37.2 percent against 17.7 percent of female workers) which requires relatively skilled labour in 191. Bos Table 2.4 Occupational Distribution of Child Workers in India, 1981-1991 ‘All Workers (Child Workers Occupations |—Maale Female Male ‘Female Tog | 1991 [1981 | 1991 | tosi_| i991 | iog1_ 1997 Cultivator | 437 | 399 | 332 | 346 | 390 | 379 | 291. | 39 Asiculusl | 196 | 208 | 462 | 442 | 377 | 395 | 229 | 519 Household | 3 | 21 | 46 | a5 | 32 | 2a 33 | 46 Industries Other * Oher* | 335 | 372 | 160 | 177 | 201 | 205 | 127 | 126 Total 100 | 100 | 100} 100 | 100 |. 100 | 10 | 1 * Other Workers: Forestry, Plantation, Hunting, Mining, Trade, Transport, Construction and Services. Source : Census of India. 1991.op cit p.174 to 261 Census of India 1981 op.cit pp.238 to 24 2.4 Child Labour and Education Fifty years after Independence, the slow progress of education particularly primary education in India is a matter of deep concer. In 1991, there were 10 million illiterate children in the age group of 5 to 14 years in the country (5.5 million boys and 4.5 million girls), While it was argued that government must be held68 responsible forypromoting school education to every child, it is essential that all sections of society have also to play a role, if this was to be made a reality. ‘The fundamental réason for promoting universal primary education was that education is of intrinsic value in itself and valued for what it can do (instrumental value). Jean Dreze and Amartyasen (1995)! provide a useful classification of the benefits of education, Education is desired for itself as it opens up a vast world of ‘opportunities and ideas to the educated person. It is of great instrumental value in the process of economic growth and development. Education plays a critical role in demographic transition; female education in particular is seen to be important in the process of lowering fertility and mortality. There is a strong correlation between literacy and life expectancy. . A report” on basic education in India Stated that educational achievements in India were highly uneven. Literacy, for instance, was almost universal in urban Kerala while practically unknown among the Scheduled Caste. women in Rajasthan. As per the report, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were the worst performers. It was shocking to find that in as many as 72 districts in these four States, a majority of children in the 10-14 years of age group are illiterate. Another notable pattern is that literacy rates are much lower for women than for men in most regions. In fact, India has one of the highest female-male gaps in literacy rates in the world. - According to Human Development Report of 1998, only five countries have a higher gap than India viz., Bhutan, Syria, Togo, Malawi and Mozambique, Rajasthan alone has as large population as those in all these countries put together and no couritry in the world has a higher female-male literacy gap than Rajasthan’, " DrezeJ and Amartya Sen (1995), “Economie Development and Social Opportunity” Oxford University Press, quoted in Kirit.S.Parikh (ed), India Development Report, 1999-2000, ‘Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999, p.68. * The Probe Team: Public Report on Basic Education in India, Centre for Development Economics, ‘Oxford University Press New Delhi, 1999. “bid,69 2.5 Child Education Across the States in India State-wise percentages of children of 5-14 years attending school as per the 1991 census are presented in Table 2.5. Figures in the table reveal that about 44.5 percent of rural children and 65.8 percent of urban children in India were attending school. The data on school attendance show variations across the States and between rural and urban areas within each State, With the exception of Kerala, attendance rates among girls were lower than among boys. In Kerala 85% of rural boys and girls, 87% of urban boys and girls in the age group of 5-14 years were attending school. It ‘was the largest percentage ever recorded in any other State in India. Urban children in all the States, it appears, were more accessible to school compares to the rural children, ‘The gender gap also tends to be wider in rural areas, In rural Rajasthan, for example, 48.2 percent of boys and 17.6 percent of girls were attending school. In general, attendance rates of girls were, very low in the rural areas of Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the attendance rate of girls touched the lowest bottom in rural areas with 17.6 percent as against the national average of 36.8 percent and it was the second Jowest in urban areas (53.2 %) after Uttar Pradesh (46.4%) against 63.1 percent of the national average. In Andhra Pradesh, the percentage of children attending school was more or less equal to the national average except in the case of rural girls whose percentage (i.e., 34.3%) was less than the national average (.e., 36.8%). . 2.6 Child Labour in Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh ‘is the 5" largest State in the country. The State is administratively divided into 23 districts which are under three geographical regions: Coastal Andhra (9 districts) Rayalseema (4 districts) and Telangana (10 districts). The population of Andhra Pradesh, according to 1991 census, was 66.51 million. This was nearly 8 percent of the total population of thé country . There were 23.88 million children in the age group of 0-14 years in the State. About 30 percent of this population war *- ~*~ age group of 0-4 yer 3 Component of children was kept out70 Table 28 Percentage of Children (5-14) Attending School in India, 1991 s Rural Urban No. State Male | Femule | Total [Male | Female | Total 1. | Kerala 50 | #50 | a0 | 71 | 871 | 87a 2 [Goa a5 | 783 | soa | 834 | 801 | 812 3. | Himachal Pradesh | 715 | 620 | 714 | 839 | 822 | 831 | Tamiinace 75 | 620 | 669 | 771 | 745 | 758 3._| Punjab 2 | sss | 596 | 695 | 680 | 688 6._| Maharashtra 6a | sai | sos | 751 | 718 | 735 7. | Sikkim 61.0 55.1 31 | 753 ns 73.6 %._| Haryana 66 | 480 | 564 | 736 | 088 | 713 9. | Gujarath 9 | 468 | S41 | 676 | 626 | 652 10._| Mizoram sae | SiS | 532 | 768 | 761 | 765 Ty. | Tripura sae | a0 | sis | 696 | 672 | 684 12, | Karnataka sa0 | 442 | si2 [ 713 | 673 | 693 13._| Manipur sis | 458 | 4&7 | 614 | 586 | 600 14, | Nagaland 300 | 464 |\ 483 | 668 | 656 | 662 15. | Orissa 351 | 404 | 478 | O81 | 618 | 656 16. | Assam 40 | 42 | 47 | ea | or | 068 17, |AndhraPradesh [512 | 343 | 0 | 093 | 632 | 663 18. | West Bengal 64 | 373.| 414 | 4 | sor | 618 19, | Madhya Pradesh [511 | 306 | 412 | 701 | 630 | 667 20. | Aranachal Pradesh | 43.4 | 330 | 384 | 637 | 379 | 610 21. | Untar Pradesh 26 | a4 | 337 | 534 | 464 | S01 22, | Rajasthan 432 | 176 | 334 | 664 | S32 | Oot 23, | Meghalaya 312 | sai | 316 | 726 | 707 | 716 24, | Bihar 398 | 218 | si4 [| 64 | sal | 590 Tndia 316 | 368 | 445 | 684 | O31 | 658 Source: Census of India 1991 Series. 1-Inda.part IV-A-C series.Socio-Cultural Tables- Volume-2.p.22-11871 of the labour force, Thus, the child population in the age group of $ to 14, years considered to be part of the labour force was 16,65 million. This was again nearly 8 percent of the total child population (of the age group of 5-14 years) of the country. During the decade between 1981 and 1991, child population (5 to14 years) in the State of A.P increased from 14.14 million to 16.65 million. This increase has worked out to be 1.8 percent per annum, The total population during the period increased by 2.4 percent per annum. The child workers (main) in the State in 1981 and 1991 were 1,754,188 and 1,537,293 respectively. Thus there’ was a considerable decline in the nuinber of child workers over the'decade, This decline was 12.4 percent over the period, which worked out to 1.2 percent per annum. Yet, the magnitude of child labour in the State was significantly high. In 1991, about 9.2 percent of all the children in the State were workers. In other words, 17 percent of all the child workers in India lived in the State, showing an increase of 1 percent over the 1981 census. 2.7 District-Wise Child Labour in Andhra Pradesh The details of the district-wise distribution of child workers are’ presented in Table 2.6. Ranks were assigned to the districts in accordance with the percentage of child workers to total workers, child population’ and total population. As can be noted from Table 2.6, Mahaboobnagar and Kumool were placed at 1 and 2™ ranks in the percentage of child workers in the State. The high incidence of child labour in these two districts was evident from the fact that the difference in the percentage of child workers between the districts of 2“ and 3° ranks was larger as compared to the difference in the, percentage of child workers in any of the two districts of Andhra Pradesh. Thus Mahaboobnagar was assigned 1” rank in the percentage of child workers to total workers (8.1 percent) as against Chittor with lowest rank where child workers were only 4 percent. It was also placed at 1* rank in other two i.e., the percentage of child workers to child population (14 percent), as well 3s to total population (3.9 percent) against East Godavari which ranked the lowest in both cases at 6.3 percent and 1.6 percent respectively.Table 2.6 District-Wise Distribution of Child Workers in Andhra Pradesh in 1991 72 sna Disie _ ecnlng of Cul Worker to workers |®#* | chuidren | R#™* | poputation | Rank T._| Mahaboobnagar | 8.1 T 140 H 3.9 7 2._| Kumool 8.0 2 13.5 2 3.6 2 3._| Khammam 64 3 105 6 2.8 3 4.__| Ananthapur 6.1 4 10.2, 8 26 5 3._| Medak 5.9 5 104 7 27 4 6._| Guntur 59 5 2 3 27 [4 7, Adilabad 5.8 6 9 12 24 7 8._| Vijayanagaram | 5.8 6 it 4 2.6 5 9._| Karimnagar_ 5.6 7 112, 3 27 4 10._[ Nizamabad 5.6 7 10.7 3 27 4 11._| Prakasham 54 8 97 9. 25 6 12. | Warangal 33 9 94, 10 24 7 13._[ Nalgonda 53 9 93 im 24 7 14.— | West Godavari_| 5.3 9 91 12 24 8 15._| Srikakulam 3. 10 94, 10 22 8 16._| Krishna 49 in 87 13 21 9 17._| Ranga Redd 49 0 74 17 19 10 18._[ Vishakapatnam [4.7 12 78, 15 19 10 19._ [ Nellore. 44 13 81 14 17 10 20.__| Cuddapah 42 14 69) 18 LT 1 21,_| East Godavar 42 14 63 19 16 12 22.__| Chitoor 4.0 15 718 16 17 1 23.__| Hyderabad 17 16 18 20 0s 13 ‘Andhra Pradesh 54 92 23 Source: Census of India 1991. Series.2.Andhra Pradesh. Part-II-B.Series. Ezonomic Tables. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. pp.16 to 147.73 Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, has been experiencing rapid expansion of urbanization. It has no rural component in its geographical area, Since most child workers in any district live in rural areas, the average percentage of child workers in Hyderabad could not bé compared with other districts to draw any meaningful inferences. 2.8 Rural-Urban Child Labour in the Districts of Andhra Pradesh Data pertaining to the percentage of child workers to total workers distributed in rural and urban areas of all the districts in the State are presented in Table 2.7, As can be noted from the table, in all the districts, it is obvious that the percentages of child workers in the rural areas were higher than those of in the urban areas. And the proportion of girl workers in the total female’ workers was always higher than the proportion of boy workers in the total male workers in both the urban and rural areas of all districts in, the State. The concentration of child workers was more in the relatively less developed districts. In urban areas, the percentage of child workers was 2.4. While this was the State average, across the districts, the figure, varied from 4.3 percent in Kumool district to 1.2 percent in Vishakapatnam district. In six districts of AP, the share of the child workers was far higher than the State average. These districts were Kumovi, Mahaboob Nagar, Anantapur, Guntur, West Gddavari and Srikakulam. In rural areas, the percentage share of child workers in AP was 6.1. Across the districts, this ranged from 8.9 percent in Kurnool district to 4.4 percent in Chitoor district. In seven districts of AB this rural percentage of child workers was far above the State average of 6.1 percent. These districts were Kumool, Mahabub Nagar, Khammam, Anantapur, Guntur, Adilabad and Ranga Reddy. From the analysis of the concentration of child workers by region, it was found that among the districts above the State average, there were more Coastal Andhra districts with concentration of urban child workers, while ‘more Telangana districts registered the concentration of rural child workers. A similar analysis of both rural and urban shares of child workers showed four districts as areas _ of concem. They are Kumool, Mahabub Nagar, Anantapur and Guntur.Table 2.7 Disteict-wise Share of Child Workers In the Total Work Force In Andhea Pradesh, 1991 74 =] una a co No. Male | Geanuy,{ Total | Mate | Geamy | Tet T. | Kurnool 73 [2a \ 89 | 34 | 68@) | 43 | Mahaboobnagar 7s | 95@ | 83 | 25 | 74) | 38 3._| Khammam a7 | 93a) | WW TS | 490) | 20 | Guntur a9 | 90@ | 66 | 25 | 59@ | 33 3. | Adilabad st | 88@) | 66 12 | 4500 | 17 © | Karimnagar 40 | 876 | 61 13 [| 31@) | 25 7. [Ananthapur _, 35 | 85a |.66 | 28 | S4@) | 32 & | Krishna a2 | 84@ | 57 | 24 | 47@) | 28 9._| Vishakapatnam 49 | 810) | 61 10 | 2906) [12 10. | Prakasham a1 | 80dH | 57 | 20 | 44an | 26 TT. | Vijayanagaram 32 | 77an] 62 | 25 | 44an | 28 12 | Medak 34 | 76(12) | 63 is | 39da | 19 13. | Nizamabad 49 | 7602) | 61 17 | 4500 | 25 14. | Warangal 45 | 760m | 38 12 [4500 [19 15. | Ranga Reddy 60 | 762) | 66 | 16 | 3204 | 19 16. | West Godavari as [7say | 57 | 30 | 48@ | 33 17. | Cuddapah 32 [7304 | 46 | 21 [| 47@ | 26 18. | Nalgonda 45 | 7205) | 56 | 15 | 48 | 22 19. | Srikakulam ai [7205] 53 | 23 | 546 | 31 20. | Nellore 39 [666 | 49 | 21 | 460) | 26 21. | chitor 33 | esan | 44 | 18 | 34c3) | 20 22. | Bast Godavari aa | 53ae | 47 | 23 | 31a) | 24 23. | Hyderabad = = 13 | 260 | 17 [Andhra Pradesh 49 [8a or [20 45 24 Source: Census of India 1991, Scries.2.Andhra Pradesh. Part-II-B.Series, ‘Economic Tables, Directorate of Cerisus Operations, Andhra Pradesh. pp.76 to 147. Note: Figures in brackets indicate the ranks of districts in the case of female child workers.2.9 District-wise Distribution of Girl Child Workers In the State ‘An analysis of the gender composition of child workers across the distridts46{ Andhra Pradesh revealed certain valuable infermation. The incidence of gitl child labour was highest in Andhra Pradesh. Firstly, 9.4 percent of total girl child population in the State were workers, while the comparable all India average was only 3.4 percent. Secondly, in both, urban and rural aréas of all the districts in the State, the proportion of child workers to total workers was more in the case of girls than in the case of boys, In Table 2,7, districts have been ranked as per the percentage share of girl workers in the total female workers for both rural and urban regions and given in the brackets of the respective column, The percentage share of girl workers in rural areas of eight districts and that of girl workers in urban areas of 12 districts exceeded th. State’averages of 8.1 percent and 4.5 percent respectively. From table, it is clear that seven districts, with both rural and urban averages, showing girl child concentration higher than the corresponding State averages were facing a critical situation as regards girl child workers. They were Mahaboobnagar, Kumool, Karimnagar, Guntur, Anantapur, Khammam, and Krishna districts. Data pertaining to the share of child workers in each district in the total child workers of the State are presented in Table 2.8, Ranks have been assigned to the districts as per the share of girl workers they had in the State. Out of the seven districts mentioned above, five districts (i.e., Mahaboobnagar,Kumool, Karimnagar, Guntur and Anantapur ) had 34.8 percent share of rural girl workers in the State, while four districts (ie., Guntur, Kurnool, Karimnagar and Ananthapur ) had 32 percent share of urban gir! child workers in the State. Mahaboobnagar which had the largest stiare of both girl and boy workers in rural areas did not show much concentration of child workers in urban areas. In contrast, Krishna district, which had the considerable share of urban girl and boy workers, did not show much concentration of rural child workers, Hyderabad with no rural component in the district ranks first and fifth in the urban concentration of male and female child workers respectively in the State. OverTable 2.8 76 District-Wise Distribution of Working Children in Andhra Pradesh, 1991. Rural Urban sl. % Share | %Sh0¥¢ | Rankin | % Share | * 82°] Renkin Re] District ofMale | peohy, | theShare | ofMale | p.0%,,, | the Share chide | Female | orGiet | chia | Fem? | of Girt Workers | workers | Workers | Workers | waive, | Workers 1. | Mahaboobnagar | 85 80 T 22 45 7 2. | Guntur 63 76 z 3 119 7 3._| Kumoot 68 7 3 77 35 2 (4. | Karimnagar aa 70 4 22 67 a 3._| Prakasam 40 32 3 27 37 i 6 | Anantapur 37 at é er 49 7 7._| Warangal a3 30 7 17 34 2 8,_ | Nalgonda 46 48 3 Ta a 7 9. | Krishna 4a 48 3 oF 76 3 10. | Medak 43 42 9 TS 16 @ 11, | West Godavari 37 42 9 64 32 6 12, | Khammam a3 ar 10 1s 2 7 13. | Nizamabad 32 41 10 Ts 40 10 14, | Vishakhapatnam | 43 38 7 38 32 3 15, | Chitoor 38 a7 2 33 23 16 16. | Adilabad 32 37 2 16 20 rr 17. | Srikakulam 34 36 3 13 27 is 18, | Vijayanagaram 40 35 1% 25 2 7 19. | Ranga Reddy 33 28 5 33 a7 z 20. | Nellore 30 28 5 35 37 it 21, | East Godavari 65 25 16 74 34 2 22. | Cuddapah 23 25 16 34 30 4 23. | Hyderabad - = 132 62 3 ‘Andhra Padesh 100 100 100 700 Source: Census of India,1991 Serics.2-Andhra Pradesh-Part-III-B Series-Economic bles. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. p.76-147.77 13 percent of urban boy ‘workers in the State were in Hyderabad district, Likewise, over 11 percent of urban girl workers in the State were in Guntur district, which ranked first with the largest share of urban girl workers in the State. 2.10 Urban-Rural Child Workers in Andhra Pradesh ‘A majority of child workers in A.P, i.e., around 90 percent, lived in the rural areas (Table 2.9) during the census decade between 1981 and 1991 and there was no considerable change during this period in the composition of male and female child workers in urban and rural areas of the State, A slight increase in the percentage of urban male child workers was recorded from 9.1 to 11.3, during this period while the share of urban girl workers increased marginally from 5.6 to 5.8 percent. In 1991, in the total urban child workers, the share of male and female children were 66.7% and 33.3% respectively and in the total rural child workers, their share was almost half i.e., 49% and 54% respectively. The share of girl workers in the total workers of urban and rural areas increased during this period. However, this increase was marginal in urban areas by just 2.4 percent (from 30.9% to 33.3%) and in rural areas it increased by 8.1 percent (from 42.9% to 51.0%). Table 2.9 Region-vise Distribution of main Child Workers in Andhra Pradesh, 1981-1991, . 1981 1991 Resion | Male _[% [Female |% [Tout | Male | % | Female [4% | Tota 92,320 41,271 133,591 | 87,835 | 11.3] 43,936 131,771 Urban | “9.1% | sos) |*° | “coo | (66.7) G33) 158 | doo 925,994 694,602 1,620,596 | 689,053 716,469 1,405,522 Rural | G7.) _|°°7] ca2.9) [944] “G00 - | 49.0) | 887] 51.0) | | “100 1,018,314 735,873 1,754,187 | 776,888 760,405 1,537,292 Total} osa.ty [19] cara) | #0] “coo “4, 50.5) | 1} ca9.sy | 2 | “coo ‘Source: Census of India-1991.Series.2-Andhra Pradesh Part-IIL_B Series. Economic Tables ~ Directorate of Census ‘Operations, p.76-78. . Census of India-1981.Series.2-Andhra Pradesh Par-ILA&B() General Economic Tables. (Table BI to B6). p.106. The above analysis reveals that not only a very large component of girl workers (above 94 percent) lived in the rural areas, but also their percentage share in the total78 rural child workers registered an increasing trend during the census period of 1981 and 1991, 2.11 Marginal Workers in Andhra Pradesh ‘The concept of marginal workers was introduced in 1981 census. It was thought that under the Indian conditions the enquiry relating to the usual status of workers was more appropriate than the current status. The economic question of the 1981 census was thus formulated in order to first divide the population into those who had worked at any time during the year preceding the census year and those who had not worked at all during the year. The latter were termed as non-workers. Having classified the population into these two broad groups, an attempt was made further to sub-divide those who had worked any time into two groups namely main workers i.e., those who had worked in some economic activity for the major part of the year, and marginal workers ie., those who had worked for some time during the last part, but not worked for the major part of the year. Thus a three-fold classification of workers into a mutually exclusive groups of main workers, marginal workers and non-workers was introduced in 1981 census. The same classification was continued for 1991 census also. In 1991, the total child workers in A.P. were 1,661,940 of whom 1,537,293 were main workers and 124,647 were marginal workers. Together they constituted 10.0 percent of total child population (of the age group of 5-14 years) in A.P. While in the main workets, the girl's share was almost half (49.5 percent), in the marginal workers, they constituted 4 considerable share i.e. more than 76 percent. Though the component of mafginal workers in the total child workers was only 7.5 percent, it's significance for women and girl workers who worked on part-time combining household chores in mitigating the houschold poverty was worth noticing. The details of the share of child workers in each district in the total marginal child workers of the State are presented in Table 2.10, It can be noted from the table that Guntur district had the largest share of urban marginal girl workers (8.2 percent)District-Wise Distribution of Margh ‘Table 2.10 79 Child Workers In Andhra Pradesh 1991, Rural I Urban SL % Share | ShF® | rank in | % Share | % SH*FE | Rank to Ne District ofMale | pemate | the Share| ofMale | pay | the Share Workers | Cie | Workers | Workers | CH | worker Workers Workers | Workers 1. | Anantapur 42 17 T 25 60 © 2. | Vishakapatnam 1S 68 2 8.6 61 5 3._| Srikakulam 63 63 3 BI 42 Tt 4. | Vijayanagaram 62 57 4 16 35 14 5._| Guntur 70 37 4 49 82 T 6._| Warangal 59 55 5 38 a7 9 7._| Nalgonda + 38 34 6 05 06 2 8._| Chittoor 39 33 7 54 32 15 9._| Cuddapan 22 30, 8 0 33 $ 10,_| Prakasham 35 49 9 32 41 12 11, | Nettore 45 48 10 32 44 10 12, | Mahaboobnagar 34 46 i 22 18 18 13. | West Godavari 61 42 2 89 73 2 14, | Khammam 73 38 3 31 OF 20 15. | Adilabad 35 3.6 4 27 38 13 16, | East Godawari 58 3.6 4 81 64 4 17._| Krishna 5.1 35 iS 45 59 7 18, | Kumool 26 34 16 16 35 1 19, | Karimnagar 30. 34 a 10 3 20._| Nizamabad 28 23 a 22 26 16 21. | Medak 29 22 18 1 15 rr) 22. | Rangareddy 24 24 19 i 20 7 23, | Hyderabad : : - 173 70 3 “Andhra Pradesh 100 100 - 100 100 = Source: Census of India.Series.2-Andhra Pradesh-Part-I[]-B.Series Economic Tables. Directorate of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh. pp.96-147.80 in 1991, In the rural areas, Ananthapur, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam ranked 1", 2™ and 3" in the concentration of marginal girl child workers in the State. Hyderabad with no rural component In the district, ranked first in urban boy workers (17.3%) and third in the share of girl workers (7.0%) in the State, ‘Tuble 2.11 Urban-Rural Distribution of Marginal Child Workers in Andhra Pradesh, 1981-1991, Region 1981 1991. Male_| % | Female | % | Tow! | Male | % | Female] % | Toul Urban | 2293 | 54 | 4978 [32 [7271 [1.853 [63 | 3417 | 3.6 [3.270 G15) (68.5) (100)_}; 35.2) (64.8) | (100) Rural | 10.033 | 946 | 149,819 [96.8 | 189,852 | 27,761 | 93.7 | 91,616 | 964 | 119,377 (21.1) (78.9) (100) _| (23.3) (16.1) (100) “Forat_| 42326 | 100 | 154,797 | 100 | 197,123 | 29,614 [100 | 95,033 | 100 | 124,687 Qs) (78.5) (100). | 233) (16.2) (100) Source: Census of India 1991-Series.2-Andhra Pradesh. op.cit., p.76-78. Census of India 1981-Series.2-Andhra Pradesh Part-IILA&B().General ‘Economie Tables, Tubles Bl to B-6), Directorate of Census Operations. “Andhra Pradesh. p.106. During the census decade of 1981-1991, there was no change in the regional composition of marginal child workers in A.P. As revealed by Table 2.11, around. 94 percent of boy workers and 96 percent of girl workers were reported to be living in tural areas of A.P. in 1991. Within the regions, girls predominately constituted marginal workers. While in the urban areas girls constituted 64.8 percent of total marginal warkers, in the rural areas their share was 76.7 percent in 1991. In the rural and urban areas, girls normally worked on a part-time basis, as they were obliged to share household cliores also, unlike boys. This was the main reason for the higher share of girls inthe total marginal workers. 2.12 Work Participation Rates The measurement of economic activity of the people had been attumpted in every census of the country though there has been variation in the concepts adopted from time to time. The classification of the population as workers and non-workers81 based on the concept of work was introduced ih 1961 census. In 1971 census, the main activity (how one engaged oneself mostly) df the people was enquired into, and based on this information, population was divided into two broad streams of main activity as workers and non workers. The 1971 census registered a sharp decline in the work participation rate defined as the percentage of workers among population, as compared with the 1961 census. As already mentioned above (in section 2.11), the concept of work was again divided into two parts as main work and marginal work in 1981 census and this classification was continued in the 1991 census also. For all practical purposes, however, the main activity of the people termed as mein workers was taken into consideration. ‘Table 2.12 Work Participation rates by the Children in Andhra Pradesh Census Rural Urban All Year Male [Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total age of Chil i dation G-14) ee 1961 | 272] 200 | 37] 95 | 53 | 74 | 240] 174 | 208 io [203 | 119 | 162 | 71 | 26 | 49 | 178 { lor | 140 i981 | 167 | 129 | 148 [57 | 26 | 42 | 142] 106 | 124 ior [ito | iz0 | ms | 39 [| 20 | 30 | 91 | 94 | 92 BL Percentage of Child W. (otal work 1961 | 109] 110] 109 | 47 | 74 | SA | 100] 107 | 103 im | or | ms | 99 | 37 | 66 | 42 | 82 | 11 | 90 181 | 75 | 106 | 86 | 29 | 65 | 35 | 66 | 103 | 78 ir | 49 | 81 | 61 | 20 | 45 | a4 | 42 | 77 | 3a Source: Census of India 1991 series.2-Andhra Pradesh.op cit.p.76-78. Census of India 1981.series.2-Andhra Pradesh.op.cit.p.106. ‘Census of India 1971 series.2-Andhra Pradesh. Part-II-B.Economic Tables.Directorate Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh.p.4 Census of India 1961.Volume.2-Andhra Pradesh.Part-tI-B (I) Economic Tables, p.6. The figures from 1961 census were taken to compare the trends, which occurred in the work participation of children during the period 1961-1991. Details of work participation rates of the children in A.P. are presented in Table 2.12, The