Child labour exists because of a complex variety of reasons. Foremost amongst them would perhaps be the social acceptance of child labour as an inevitable consequence of poverty. Child labour is often seen to be inevitable in the context of a developing country that has pervasive poverty.

Thus on the one hand it is argued that in India child labour cannot end until poverty ends. But on the other hand poverty itself is a function of human capital development. As child labour depresses human capital formation, the continuance of child labour on the grounds of poverty helps perpetuate it.When we look for possible solutions for ending child labour in the country, the primary area of focus ought to be the sensitization of society about the causes and implications of child labour that would lead to a greater awareness about child labour.

Nevertheless the role that low family incomes play in pushing children into work cannot be underestimated. A fall in incomes and simultaneous increases in family expenditures occur when children are rehabilitated from work and enrolled into schools.