Deprivation Problem of India’s Children: Urgent & Systematic Reforms

Syllabus: GS2/Social Issues

Context

• According to the ‘State of the World’s Children (SWOC) 2025’ report by UNICEF, developing nations such as India face extreme child poverty and multidimensional child deprivation.

Key Findings of ‘State of the World’s Children 2025’

• Global Trends: Over 1 billion children globally are experiencing multidimensional poverty — lacking access to education, healthcare, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or water.
  • Malnutrition remains a leading cause of child mortality. Stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies continue to affect millions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Climate Change and Conflict: UNICEF’s report highlights that four in five children worldwide now face at least one extreme climate hazard annually.
  • For millions, environmental shocks threaten access to water, food, and safe shelter.
  • Additionally, conflict zones have doubled their impact on childhood — with 19% of the world’s children living in areas affected by violence in 2024, compared to around 9% in the mid-1990s.
  • Reducing development aid could further exacerbate global inequalities, potentially leading to 4.5 million additional under-five deaths by 2030 and forcing six million children out of school by next year.
• Development Aid Cuts: Projected reductions in international aid could result in 4.5 million additional under-five deaths by 2030 and 6 million more children dropping out of school by 2026.

India’s Child Poverty Challenge

• According to the report, 206 million Indian children experience at least one form of deprivation.
  • Alarmingly, 62 million among them face two or more, spanning critical dimensions like education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water.
• It underscores how poverty extends beyond income. It’s about the quality of life, access to services, and opportunities for development.
• India is a signatory to United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which recognises the holistic development of children and fulfilment of their human rights.

India’s Policy Framework: Progress with Gaps

• Budgetary Allocations: In India’s 2025-26 Union Budget, the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) received ₹26,890 crore, including:
  • ₹21,960 crore for Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0
  • ₹1,500 crore for Mission Vatsalya;
  • The Ministry’s share in central expenditure has declined from 0.96% (2015-16) to 0.5% (2025-26), signaling that child welfare has not become a higher policy priority, even amid growing needs.
• ASER & NFHS-5 Findings: Children between the ages of 0-18 constitute about 40% of India’s population.
  • According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) report, 2023, about 40% of children in the rural areas between the age group 3-6 years are out of pre-school or an Anganwadi centre. 
  • According to the Fifth Round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), children in India: stunting (35.5%) and weight (19.3% children being underweight). 
• Implementation Gaps: Delays in Anganwadi upgrades, shortages of trained staff, and slow fund disbursement have hindered programme outcomes.
  • Such systemic inefficiencies dilute the impact of even the best-intentioned budgetary allocations.
• Urban and Digital Divide: Urban slums present the harshest intersection of challenges — malnutrition, unsafe housing, pollution, and disrupted education.
  • Moreover, digital exclusion keeps millions of children disconnected from online learning and skill-building opportunities, widening the educational gap.
• High Child Population: India is home to the largest child population in the world, making its progress essential to global child development goals.
• Persistent Inequities: Children from marginalized communities—especially Dalits, Adivasis, and those in rural or conflict-affected areas—face disproportionate deprivation.

Efforts Related To Children in India

• ICDS and mid-day meals; PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI); Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS – a programme for tribal children); Pradhan Mantri Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM YASASVI) for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) and De-notified Tribes (DNTs) etc.

Case Study: Kerala’s Decentralised Model

• Kerala provides a notable success story. The state has empowered local committees to actively engage with Anganwadis through its panchayati raj institutions and community-based organisations (CBOs).
• These community-owned and -led structures have strengthened child rights and improved welfare outcomes by fostering accountability, local ownership, and inclusive participation.

Way Forward: A National Mission for Child Rights

• India needs to elevate child poverty eradication as a national mission to align with UNICEF’s five-point framework. It requires:
  • Universal digital access and inclusive education;
  • Stronger social protection systems;
  • Last-mile public service delivery;
  • Inter-ministerial coordination for integrated policy action; and,
  • Empowered frontline workers and real-time monitoring for transparency.
• Integrated Approach Needed: The report urges a ‘whole-of-government’ strategy that unites health, education, nutrition, and child protection under a cohesive framework.
• Data-Driven Policy: Improved real-time data collection and monitoring are essential to track progress and target interventions effectively.
• Family-Based Care: UNICEF advocates for a shift from institutional care to family- and community-based child protection systems.

Conclusion: Investing in the Future

• India’s demographic dividend will only bear fruit if today’s children grow up healthy, educated, and secure. 
• Without bold reforms and targeted investment, millions will remain unseen, unheard, and unserved — excluded from the promise of national progress.

Source: BS