Article 24

Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc.

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part III, Article 24, printed page 14
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

No child below fourteen may work in a factory or mine or be engaged in other hazardous employment.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 24 sets a constitutional prohibition for children below fourteen: employment in any factory or mine, or in other hazardous employment.

This short constitutional provision is not a complete child-employment code. Legislation may impose additional restrictions and duties; permission for other work must not be inferred simply because Article 24 does not mention it.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A factory proposes to employ a twelve-year-old child.

Core takeaway: Article 24 prohibits employing a child below fourteen to work in any factory.

Illustrative Notice: Statutory protections can extend further than this article. Do not use this example as advice that another form of child employment is lawful.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Read the age threshold and the categories of work precisely.

The constitutional text says “below the age of fourteen years”.
It covers any factory or mine, and any other hazardous employment.
Education and child welfare obligations must also be considered under applicable law.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part III, Article 24, printed page 14 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource