Child labour: S Delhi reveals its ugly side

It may house some of the most affluent people in the city and lay claims of being the most socially-progressive district but two out of 10 people in south Delhi think that anyone over the age of 10 is not a child. Mallica Joshi reports. Survey results

It may house some of the most affluent people in the city and lay claims of being the most socially-progressive district but two out of 10 people in south Delhi think that anyone over the age of 10 is not a child.

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This and many other surprising figures were thrown up by a survey of 1,575 employers conducted by NGO Child Rights and You (CRY) on the attitudes and beliefs about child labour.

According to the report, a number of respondents believed that only an individual under the age of 10 years is considered a child. This number was 12.8% in south west Delhi and 6.3% in New Delhi.

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"These figures suggest that all these people would possibly have no hesitation in hiring a child as young as 10 years. Not only this, many people consider that a child should not only study, but work as well," the study read.

About half of the city's population believes that children can work as much as adults. Their salaries, however, are much lower than their counterparts.