Over the past decade, global progress has improved child well-being in areas such as education, health, and nutrition. However, India, despite having one of the world’s largest child populations, ranks a low 112 on the Child Development Index, indicating serious challenges in ensuring children’s rights and welfare. While India has introduced several constitutional and legal protections—such as the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (amended in 2016)—millions of children still face abuse, exploitation, and deprivation. Child labour remains a major issue, with over 10.12 million children aged 5–14 engaged in work, as per the 2011 Census. Although adolescents (14–18) may work in non-hazardous sectors, many children are still found in dangerous jobs, violating Article 24 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits hazardous child labour. UNICEF notes that India has the highest number of child labourers under age 14 globally, while agriculture is the largest employment sector for child labour, both globally and in India. Informal sectors across the country also contribute significantly to the problem, highlighting the urgent need for better implementation and enforcement of child protection laws. This paper aims to discuss the legal framework for child protection in India and its effectiveness.