General Studies-1; Topic: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.
Introduction
- The State of the World’s Children 2025 report by UNICEF highlights that despite global progress in reducing extreme poverty, India continues to carry one of the largest burdens of multidimensionally deprived children.
- The report stresses the need to treat child deprivation as a national priority, as failure to do so will compromise India’s demographic dividend and overall development trajectory.
About State of the World’s Children 2025 Report
The UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2025 report highlights persistent child poverty in India, stressing multidimensional deprivations, climate risks, weak welfare spending, and the urgent need for child-centric policies.
Key Findings of the UNICEF Report Relevant to India
- Extreme child poverty globally is declining, yet deprivation persists in large pockets, particularly in developing nations.
- 206 million Indian children experience at least one major form of deprivation.
- Nearly one-third of these children face multiple simultaneous deprivations such as health, nutrition, education, sanitation, and housing.
- Globally, 400 million children in low- and middle-income countries are deprived of at least two critical dimensions essential for growth and wellbeing.
- India forms a significant share of this global total due to its population size and persistent development gaps.
Why Child Poverty is Distinct from General Poverty
- Children experience poverty differently from adults. Deprivations during early years affect:
- Brain development
- School readiness
- Immunity and long-term health
- Emotional wellbeing
- Future earning potential
- Early childhood deprivation often leads to irreversible damage, especially during the first 1,000 days of life.
- Therefore, child poverty requires separate and specialised policy attention, beyond general poverty reduction.
India’s Progress in Reducing Multidimensional Poverty
- India reduced the national MPI from 29.2% (2013–14) to 11.3% (2022–23).
- Approximately 248 million people moved out of multidimensional poverty in the last decade.
- Improvements were noted in indicators like:
- Access to cooking fuel
- Sanitation
- Housing
- Nutrition
- Education
- However, the benefits have not translated proportionately for children, who remain highly vulnerable despite overall national progress.
Impact of Climate Change on Child Poverty
- UNICEF estimates that 4 out of 5 children in India are exposed annually to at least one extreme climate hazard such as:
- Heatwaves
- Floods and cyclones
- Droughts
- Air pollution
- Climate change worsens:
- Malnutrition
- Water scarcity
- Spread of vector-borne diseases
- Disruption of schooling
- Children in informal settlements, tribal areas, and coastal regions face multiple compounded risks.
Evaluation of Key Child Welfare Schemes
Poshan Abhiyaan
- Recognised for promoting nutrition awareness and growth monitoring.
- Challenges remain:
- Gaps in real-time tracking
- Shortage of nutrition supplies
- Inadequate community engagement
ICDS / Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0
- Covers early childhood care, supplementary nutrition, and preschool learning.
- Issues include:
- Poor infrastructure
- Irregular food distribution
- Limited teacher training
- Variation in quality across states
PM Poshan (Mid-Day Meal Scheme)
- Crucial for nutrition and school attendance.
- But quality, menu, and hygiene vary significantly across districts.
Health Schemes
- Mission Indradhanush has improved immunisation rates.
- Yet, India still faces:
- High child anaemia
- Regional immunisation gaps
- Weak primary healthcare systems
Importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD)
- ECD interventions are essential for:
- Cognitive development
- Social and emotional learning
- School readiness
- The quality of preschool education in anganwadis determines:
- Literacy outcomes
- Learning abilities
- Long-term productivity
- International evidence shows that investment in ECD yields the highest returns compared to any educational stage.
Technological Solutions for Better Implementation
- Technology can be leveraged for:
- Real-time child nutrition tracking using mobile apps
- Digital dashboards for monitoring programme outcomes
- GIS-based mapping of child services
- Aadhaar-enabled DBT for maternal and child benefits
- Telehealth services for rural and tribal households
- Examples include:
- Poshan Tracker
- U-WIN immunization platform
- Digital anganwadi management systems
Way Forward
- Reprioritize Public Spending
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- Increase investment in child-focused programmes.
- Strengthen fiscal commitment of both Centre and States.
- Improve Anganwadi Functionality
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- Upgrade infrastructure (water, toilets, electricity).
- Provide training in early childhood education.
- Ensure timely and adequate supply of nutrition.
- Strengthen Convergence
- Promote coordinated action across:
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- Health
- Education
- Women and child development
- Water and sanitation
- Rural development
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- Focus on Climate Resilience for Children
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- Create heat shelters in schools.
- Develop early warning systems for child institutions.
- Improve air quality control in urban areas.
- Improve Data Integration
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- Create a unified national child development database.
- Track nutrition, health, and education indicators at district and gram panchayat levels.
- Promote Community Participation
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- Empower mothers’ groups and local committees.
- Involve Panchayati Raj Institutions in social audits.
- Address Learning Poverty
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- Strengthen foundational learning under NEP 2020.
- Provide digital access for the poorest children.
- Improve teacher training and accountability.
Conclusion
- Child-centric development is not only a moral responsibility but also a strategic investment in India’s future.
- The report is both a warning and a blueprint for action, urging India to strengthen its laws, institutions, budgets, and community participation to ensure every child’s right to nutrition, health, education, safety, and a clean environment.
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