Telangana government caste census finds 89,000 under-18 daily-wage laborers
A new Telangana government survey just revealed that 89,000 children under 18 are working as daily-wage laborers across the state.
The numbers come from a massive caste census covering over 35 million people, shining a light on how economic struggles and lack of access to education are pushing many children, especially in marginalized communities, into work instead of school.
Telangana caste disparities shape child labor
The data shows child labor is especially high among Scheduled Castes and Tribes: 14% of the child laborers were from SC Madiga and 11% were from ST Lambadi communities.
Meanwhile, only 2.6% of OC Brahmins do such work, while groups like OC Rajus and Brahmins dominate professional jobs (27%).
It's a stark reminder that economic opportunities still depend a lot on which community you're born into in Telangana.