LIVING CONDITIONS AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF STREET CHILDREN: A STUDY OF SELECTED WARDS IN KOLKATA MUNICIPAL AREA
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Abstract
Most precarious and marginalized classes in metropolitan eco system in India. The present study aims at discussing the demographic background and living conditions of street children in some of these wards with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). The qualitative, observational and document-based research design studied 110 individual cases without any survey instruments applied, which allowed to develop a grounded, field-based comprehension of their realities. Some of the important variables to be investigated are age, gender, shelter type, daily occupation and availability of basic public services. The analysis shows that a high number of these children are in early adolescence and late adolescence with most of them being boys. Children are found in unsafe settlements such as pavements or in makeshift tents and most of them are made to do informal work such as rag-picking, vending and begging. In a frightening manner, very few of them have access to institutional shelters or basic facilities.
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