"Poverty is the root cause of child labour." In this context, there is a possibility of more children engaging in child labour due to the loss of jobs during the ongoing pandemic. Comment.

→ Poverty as root cause of child labor:

Sociological understanding of child labor reflects that poverty remains the most dominant cause of child labor along with strong connection with caste and gender.

Child laborers are more energetic, least complaining and unaware of their rights

which leads to "good economic sense" to their employment in economic activities.

In return, their parents see them as economic assets which bring additional income into a poor household. Education is seen as a long gestation project and is not invested in.

Poverty also stems from caste perspective. Studies of child laborers highlight high proportion of SC/ST in child laborers. This also contains religious angles as more minorities are involved in child labor.

Poverty also leads to gender discrimination in child labor. Girl child is employed more as

a domestic help than a male child. They are thought to be less complaining and are more equipped for domestic jobs.

→ Impact of ongoing pandemic:

• Job losses leading to more poverty: Global job losses will increase pressure on poors. This will lead to more requirement of working hands which will push children into working.

• Increasing drop out rates in school: shift to online education leaves major chunk of students outside formal learning. This will make them available to work.

• Lesser disposable incomes with industry:

lesser salary to pay will make them employ more child labor to cut down salary expenditure.

• Increasing pregnancies due to lockdown: will lead to more unexpected children, more mouths to feed and more requirement of child work.

• Children have better immunity: This will lead to more trust on child workers as they are lesser prone to virus.