Slums are highly populated urban areas, typically characterized by illegal settlements, overcrowding and associated problems, such as law and order issues, poor physical and mental health and poor standards of living. Lopsided developmental efforts across nations and the concentration of resources in the urban pockets have made urban migration from rural areas a major reality—driven by a need to access work opportunities, education and even healthcare. The Indian slum population was estimated to reach as high as 9% of the total population in 2017—a problem further aggravated by the issue of illegal cross-border immigration to India from neighbouring nations. Children, the most vulnerable sections of the society, also tend to be among the worst victims of the slum environment. Prolonged exposure of children to the slum atmosphere has been associated with poor health conditions, inadequate care giving, stunting of development and risks from organized crime, drugs, sexual violence, child labour, denial of resources and other forms of exploitation. While slums have drawn attention of policymakers frequently both as problems to be addressed and unavoidable malaises to be endured, the issue of children in slums often get ignored—leading to less than adequate policy intervention to address their specific vulnerabilities and needs. The present chapter investigates the concerns of the slum children in India and their exposure to threats of child labour, health-damaging conditions, violence inside and outside their homes and inadequate access to even minimal resources. We discuss the major trends in growth and decline of slums in India, the plight of the Indian slum children and identify gaps that may be addressed through focused policy interventions.
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