14 November is celebrated as Children's Day on the birth date of India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was very fond of kids; he used to enjoy the company of children.
He believed that the future of a nation depends on children and they need the utmost care. He said that only a healthy and happy child would grow to be a responsible citizen and make a contribution to a strong nation.
He worked a lot for the welfare of the children and spread awareness among people about child welfare. Although affords have been made for years, there are still some unsolved issues.
Child labour is one of the terrible issues in India with more than 10 million children in labor-intensive fields. Despite decades of social reforms, it is still increasing all across the country.
At the age when they should study, many children get caught in the grips of child labor. Parents are also responsible for it; they force their kids to work to earn for their families.
Violence and abuse against children are very common in India. In the year 2013, India was one of the top 5 countries having the highest rate of child sexual abuse.
In the same year, the Asian Centre for Human Rights presented a report saying between 2001 to 2011 over 48,000 rape cases were registered in the country, and a 337% increment in child rape cases from 2001 (2,113 cases) to 2011 (7,112 cases).
Child sex abuse (CSA) is happening across geographies, economic levels, and even across relationships – strangers, friends, and family members.
A multi-million rupee underground industry, forced begging is rapidly growing in India, today over 3 lakh children are involved in it.
People working in the industry use all means to force children to beg from drug addiction to mental, physical, and sexual violence. It is shocking to hear those small kids are given targets to meet during their begging trips.
Child marriage is still a serious concern in India even after a continued effort by the government, people, and society. This evil is mainly present in rural areas.
Child Marriage does not only affect the health of the child but it reiterates on the future generation. The major causes behind child marriage in India are low education, gender inequality, and poverty.
According to a report from the United Nations, the world's largest population of illiterate adults (287 million) lives in India. A huge number of children do not have access to school.
The children who enroll in primary school, most of them drop out the school due to various reasons. Also, there is a gender bias when it comes to educating the girl child. Many schemes are launched to change the situation but it still needs improvement.
So these are the top five problems, children are facing in India. While governments and civil society are working to give children access to their rights, we also support them and work at our level to resolve these problems.
You care and support a child today; he will grow up to care for and support the nation tomorrow. Happy Children's Day!