Children - Terre des Hommes

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Jharkhand
State Overview
The state of Jharkhand was formed in 2000, when it
was carved out of southern Bihar. According to the
2001 Census, the state has a population of 26,909,428.
Jharkhand has experienced very fast economic growth rates
in the past few years; in 2004-05, the economy grew by
a staggering 33.83 per cent. 197 The state is extremely rich
in mineral resources, with the largest supplies of iron ore,
copper ore and mica in the country, as well as 29 per cent
of India’s coal reserves. It also has some of the country’s
most industrialised cities, such as Jamshedpur, Ranchi and
Bokaro Steel City. A number of large companies, such as
the Tata Iron and Steel Company, are based in Jharkhand.
Despite this rapid industrialisation, almost 75 per cent
of the population remains dependent on the agricultural
sector, with the main crops including rice, wheat, potatoes
and pulses.
Regardless of its economic growth, the state still faces huge
challenges in terms of human development. Over 40 per
cent of the population lives below the poverty line, which is
significantly higher than the national average of 27.5 per cent.
There are also vast gaps between the urban and rural parts of
the state. Whilst only 20.2 per cent of the population lives
below the poverty line in towns and cities, in the rural areas
this figure is 46.3 per cent. Overall, more than two out of every
five people cannot meet their basic needs in Jharkhand. High
poverty is reflected in all other measures of socio-economic
development. 198
The state has a very large ST population, with 26.3 per cent
of the population comprising STs. The average adult literacy
rate is 53.56 per cent, the second lowest in the country above
Bihar. For the SC and ST populations, the literacy rates are
even worse. Only 37.56 per cent of people from SCs are
literate in the state, and for SC women living in the rural
areas, the figure is a shocking 17.73 per cent. In the case of the
STs, the situation is not much better—40.67 per cent of STs
in Jharkhand are literate, whilst the figure is 24.38 per cent for
ST females in rural parts of the state. 199
The Jharkhand Development Report 2009 reported that
the percentage of main workers in the total population in
Jharkhand is considerably lower than the India average. In fact,
Jharkhand has the minimum percentage of people having full
employment as compared to all the other states considered.
This may indicate a lack of regular and stable employment
opportunities for the population in the state.
Status of Children
As can be expected in a state where general human development
indicators are poor, the status of children in Jharkhand is also
very worrying. The total child population is 10,708,694 (14
years and under), and 13,208,344 (19 years and under). 200
According to the 2001 Census , there were 407,200 child
labourers in the state (aged 14 years and under). Although
there are no figures for the number of children working in
hazardous occupations as a whole, the figure is likely to be
high. The NCLP is currently operating in nine districts in the
197. Central Statistical Organisation, as quoted in: Indicus, Jharkhand Development Report, 2009.
198. Indicus, Jharkhand Development Report, 2009.
199. All literacy figures are taken from Census of India, 2001.
200. Census of India, 2001.