Children malnourishment - A policy failure! Part-II
In India, 30 per cent of children are born with low birth weight and almost 50 per cent remain underweight by the age of three. Every year, 2 million children die in India, accounting for one in 5 child deaths in the world. Where are we going wrong?
ONE OF the Millennium Development Goals of the UN is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, which would mean halving the proportion of children, who are underweight for their age. UNICEF has warned that the world is not on track to meet that goal. Sadly, the analysis of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, the most comprehensive plan which was intended to tackle this problem, has not been able to make an impression. There is strong evidence to prove that the programme has failed to lead to any substantial improvement in the nutritional status of children under six. As only 33 per cent of age-eligible children received any service from ICDS, 26 per cent received supplementary food, 20 per cent received immunisation and growth monitoring was done for only 18 per cent children. This shows that within a population of 2 million children only about 6.5 lakh children received some minimal attention of the government, leaving the rest of them to their fate.
Similarly, there are huge inter-state differentials existing across India. A large interstate variation in patterns and trends of underweight children has been recorded between the worst and best states in this respect.
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan account for more than 43 per cent of all underweight children in India. The percentage of underweight children is the highest in Madhya Pradesh (60 per cent), Bihar (56 per cent), Jharkhand (57 per cent), Chhattisgarh (47 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (43 per cent), Orissa (41 per cent), West Bengal (39 per cent), Gujarat (45 per cent) and Maharashtra (37 per cent). Such vast variation may be attributed to the problems of poverty and unavailability of basic amenities. The funds and grants differences between the union and state government have added fuel to fire thus aggravating the problem. Under-nutrition level is serious in rural areas, in lower wealth quartiles, SCs and STs and among families with no educated adult. The percentage of undernourished children is far higher than the income poverty rate.
Our vulnerabilities with regard to hunger and malnutrition issues can be minimised but not totally eliminated. The challenge is to see to it that democracy itself does not become an obstacle to the regeneration of governing skills and capacities. Government policies need to develop a mature, honest, inclusive and outward approach. India’s programme with UNICEF is a ray of hope for the backward and hunger stricken children. In other words, it needs to be ensured that political fragmentation does not hamper effective governance at the centre. Though India has undoubtedly produced and is still producing great think tanks, it lacks the right direction to execute good policies.
A state unable to fulfill its basic minimum requisite programme is characterised by its public institution’s inability to prevent an ever enlarging circle of intolerance, violence and disorder, overwhelming the forces and voices of reasonableness and equity. Indian state should concentrate on correcting administrative and legal infirmities. The government of India started various programmes under Supreme Court directive. These are: Annapoorna Yojana, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Family Benefit Scheme, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Maternity Benefit Scheme, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Pension Schemes, and the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme. Briefly, the order directs the Union and State Governments to implement these schemes whole- heartedly as per official guidelines. This, in effect, converts the benefits of these schemes into legal entitlements for the citizens. Further, the court has given directions pertaining to certain other schemes, notably the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana.
Proper execution of these programmes and policies will go a long way in eliminating malnourishment in the nation.
Our vulnerabilities with regard to hunger and malnutrition issues can be minimised but not totally eliminated. The challenge is to see to it that democracy itself does not become an obstacle to the regeneration of governing skills and capacities. Government policies need to develop a mature, honest, inclusive and outward approach. India’s programme with UNICEF is a ray of hope for the backward and hunger stricken children. In other words, it needs to be ensured that political fragmentation does not hamper effective governance at the centre. Though India has undoubtedly produced and is still producing great think tanks, it lacks the right direction to execute good policies.
A state unable to fulfill its basic minimum requisite programme is characterised by its public institution’s inability to prevent an ever enlarging circle of intolerance, violence and disorder, overwhelming the forces and voices of reasonableness and equity. Indian state should concentrate on correcting administrative and legal infirmities. The government of India started various programmes under Supreme Court directive. These are: Annapoorna Yojana, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Family Benefit Scheme, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Maternity Benefit Scheme, Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Pension Schemes, and the Targeted Public Distribution Scheme. Briefly, the order directs the Union and State Governments to implement these schemes whole- heartedly as per official guidelines. This, in effect, converts the benefits of these schemes into legal entitlements for the citizens. Further, the court has given directions pertaining to certain other schemes, notably the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana.
Proper execution of these programmes and policies will go a long way in eliminating malnourishment in the nation.
.Total lack of committment as a scial institute responsible for social causes, especially related to children. The Integrated Child Development services was started with much fan fare but the policies and actions per say remain much on paper , heavy administration of paper , files are more maintained than people.
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