Behind the Glow: India’s 22,000 Child Miners Still Forgotten in 2025

Jharkhand/Bihar, India - Despite global promises to eliminate child labour by 2025, over 22,000 children remain trapped in dangerous mica mines of eastern India, supplying the shimmering mineral used in cosmetics, car paints, and electronics. This figure, first exposed by international NGOs SOMO and Terre des Hommes in 2015, was reaffirmed in 2022 by European journalists investigating illegal mica mining in India’s tribal belts. As of 2025, no official report or government audit has contradicted these numbers—indicating systemic failure in policy, enforcement, and ethical sourcing. The Makeup Connection: Mica, known for its sparkling properties, is widely used in eyeshadow, highlighter, lip gloss, and foundation. Despite public commitments by major cosmetics brands to clean up their supply chains, experts say illegally mined mica continues to find its way into global beauty products through untraceable intermediaries. “It’s a shadow supply chain. You can’t guarantee ethical mica without full traceability, and right now, most brands don’t have it,” said a former auditor at the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI). Life in the Mines: Children, some as young as 5, work long hours under scorching heat, digging with bare hands, inhaling dust, and facing fatal accidents from tunnel collapses. Families earn as little as ₹30–50/day (~$0.40), caught in a cycle of poverty and debt. Global Pledges Miss the Mark: The ILO–UNICEF 2025 Child Labour Report, released this month, confirms the world has failed to meet its target to eradicate hazardous child labour. Mining—including mica extraction—is among the worst forms still widely practiced. What Can Be Done? Pressure governments to enforce mining regulations and invest in rural education. Final Word: Until beauty brands and governments prioritize transparency over profit, India’s children will continue to pay the price for the world’s sparkle.