strong>Answer: The case presents a scenario where on the one hand, the number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads is rising fast, while on the other hand, due to child labour, a large number of children in India remain vulnerable and face physical and psychological risks to a healthy development. The key stakeholders in this case study are the State represented by the District Magistrate, mine workers (including children), industries using cobalt, and the society at large. (a) Ethical issues involved in the given case:

• Issues of values and morality make an essential part of environmental ethics and here inclusion of children in the mining of cobalt and that too in dangerous conditions is a major ethical issue.
• There is a failure of the government to implement the rules related to child labour, and a failure on the part of the society to stop such unethical practices.
• Multi-national corporations using cobalt are generally aware of such practices, still, they use such raw products and boast about their contribution towards environmental initiatives.
• A major dilemma is to strike a balance between ensuring development and protection of human rights, specifically child rights.
• The given case presents a scenario in which two basic necessities of children are in conflict i.e., their socio-economic rights of getting an education and good health vs. survival and livelihood of their families.

(b) Reasons for the prevalence of child labor in India: Despite various legal and institutional measures like ratifying the ILO conventions, implementing the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, formulating the National Policy on Child Labour (1987), etc., child labor is prevalent and persistent in India owing to the following reasons:

• Poverty is the greatest single force driving children into the workplace. Income from a child’s work is felt to be crucial for his/her own survival or for that of the household’s survival. Social backwardness is also one of the main reasons for child labor in India.
• The absence of compulsory education (prior to the RTE Act) at the primary level, parental ignorance regarding the bad effects of child labor, non-availability and non-accessibility of schools, and impractical school curriculum are some of the factors, which lead to child labor.
• There is poor compliance with laws related to child labor due to the lackluster attitude of the administration in their implementation.
• The lure of cheap labor is a major factor, as children’s wages are much lower as compared to adults’ wages, which encourages child labor.

(c) Steps that can be taken to address the issue of child labor in the district are the following:

• Short-term solutions for tackling such a situation:
  • Being the DM of the district, effective implementation of laws rules, and regulations for protection against child labor should be the first step, wherein the District Labour Officer would be given directions to control any such illegal and unethical practice happening in the district.
  • Strict action against miners employing children should be taken immediately and the police of the district should be kept on vigil mode, as frequent raids where children are regularly employed would help in curbing the issue of child labor in the district.
  • As child labor is a contributing factor in the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, and underemployment, there should be a concerted effort towards social protection programs and cash transfers to improve the economic situation of families and to reduce the “need” to send children to work. This may lower the familial pressure on children to opt for child labor.
• Long-term solutions for tackling such a situation:
  • There is an urgent need to revamp the educational infrastructure in order to ensure access to educational institutions for children and improvement in the quality of education.
  • The state should take adequate measures to raise awareness among families and communities about the adverse consequences of child labor. Literacy of the parents can play an important role in ensuring that the rights of children are upheld.
  • Considering the benefits associated with the development of electric vehicles, it is necessary to focus on research and development in order to use the best affordable technology for the extraction of cobalt.
  • In the long-term, the elimination of child labor demands commitment from the society e.g., family, state, civil society, and those who employ children in any enterprise.

A climate-friendly solution should not be at the expense of children’s basic rights. Stakeholders like industries should ensure that they are not adopting any measure that results in the abuse of the basic human rights of children. Collaborative action from all key development actors, including the state, civil society organizations, communities, media, and the private sector is required to prioritize and protect the rights of children.