{"id":60244,"date":"2025-12-01T19:17:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T13:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=60244"},"modified":"2025-12-02T13:30:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:00:21","slug":"india-children-deprivation-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/01-12-2025\/india-children-deprivation-problem","title":{"rendered":"Deprivation Problem of India\u2019s Children: Urgent &amp; Systematic Reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Social Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the <strong>\u2018State of the World\u2019s Children (SWOC) 2025\u2019<\/strong> report by <strong>UNICEF<\/strong>, <strong>developing nations<\/strong> such as <strong>India<\/strong> face <strong>extreme child poverty <\/strong>and <strong>multidimensional child deprivation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Findings of \u2018State of the World\u2019s Children 2025\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Global Trends: <\/strong>Over 1 billion children globally are experiencing multidimensional poverty \u2014 lacking access to education, healthcare, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or water.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malnutrition remains a leading cause of child mortality. Stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies continue to affect millions, especially in low- and middle-income countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate Change and Conflict: <\/strong>UNICEF\u2019s report highlights that <strong>four in five children worldwide<\/strong> now face <strong>at least one extreme climate hazard annually<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For millions, environmental shocks threaten access to water, food, and safe shelter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additionally, <strong>conflict zones have doubled their impact<\/strong> on childhood \u2014 with <strong>19% of the world\u2019s children<\/strong> living in areas affected by violence in 2024, compared to around 9% in the mid-1990s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reducing development aid could further exacerbate global inequalities, potentially leading to <strong>4.5 million additional under-five deaths by 2030<\/strong> and forcing <strong>six million children out of school<\/strong> by next year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Development Aid Cuts: <\/strong>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Child Poverty Challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the report, <strong>206 million Indian children<\/strong> experience at least one form of deprivation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Alarmingly, <strong>62 million<\/strong> among them face <strong>two or more<\/strong>, spanning critical dimensions like <strong>education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and water<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It underscores how poverty extends beyond income. It\u2019s about the <strong>quality of life, access to services, and opportunities for development<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is a <strong>signatory to United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)<\/strong> which recognises the holistic development of children and fulfilment of their human rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Policy Framework: Progress with Gaps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Budgetary Allocations: <\/strong>In India\u2019s <strong>2025-26 Union Budget<\/strong>, the <strong>Ministry of Women &amp; Child Development (MWCD)<\/strong> received <strong>\u20b926,890 crore<\/strong>, including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u20b921,960 crore for <strong>Saksham Anganwadi &amp; POSHAN 2.0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u20b91,500 crore for <strong>Mission Vatsalya;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Ministry&#8217;s share in central expenditure has <strong>declined from 0.96% (2015-16)<\/strong> to <strong>0.5% (2025-26)<\/strong>, signaling that <strong>child welfare has not become a higher policy priority<\/strong>, even amid growing needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ASER &amp; NFHS-5 Findings: <\/strong>Children <strong>between the ages of 0-18<\/strong> constitute about <strong>40% of India\u2019s population.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the <strong>Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) report,<\/strong> 2023, about <strong>40% of children in the rural areas<\/strong> between the <strong>age group 3-6 years <\/strong>are <strong>out of pre-school or an Anganwadi centre.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to the Fifth Round of the National Family Health Survey<strong> (NFHS-5), children in India:<\/strong> <strong>stunting (35.5%) <\/strong>and <strong>weight (19.3% children being underweight).&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implementation Gaps: <\/strong>Delays in <strong>Anganwadi upgrades<\/strong>, <strong>shortages of trained staff<\/strong>, and <strong>slow fund disbursement<\/strong> have hindered programme outcomes.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Such <strong>systemic inefficiencies<\/strong> dilute the impact of even the best-intentioned budgetary allocations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban and Digital Divide: <\/strong>Urban slums present the <strong>harshest intersection<\/strong> of challenges \u2014 malnutrition, unsafe housing, pollution, and disrupted education.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moreover, <strong>digital exclusion<\/strong> keeps millions of children <strong>disconnected from online learning and skill-building opportunities<\/strong>, widening the educational gap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High Child Population:<\/strong> India is home to the largest child population in the world, making its progress essential to global child development goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Persistent Inequities: <\/strong>Children from marginalized communities\u2014especially Dalits, Adivasis, and those in rural or conflict-affected areas\u2014face disproportionate deprivation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Efforts Related To Children in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ICDS and mid-day meals; PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI); Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS &#8211; 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Case Study: Kerala\u2019s Decentralised Model<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kerala provides a <strong>notable success story<\/strong>. The state has empowered local committees to actively engage with <strong>Anganwadis <\/strong>through its <strong>panchayati raj institutions<\/strong> and <strong>community-based organisations (CBOs)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These community-owned and -led structures have strengthened <strong>child rights<\/strong> and improved <strong>welfare outcomes<\/strong> by fostering <strong>accountability, local ownership, and inclusive participation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward: A National Mission for Child Rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India needs to elevate <strong>child poverty eradication<\/strong> as a <strong>national mission t<\/strong>o align with <strong>UNICEF\u2019s five-point framework<\/strong>. It requires:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Universal digital access<\/strong> and <strong>inclusive education;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stronger social protection systems;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Last-mile public service delivery;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inter-ministerial coordination<\/strong> for integrated policy action; and,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Empowered frontline workers<\/strong> and <strong>real-time monitoring<\/strong> for transparency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integrated Approach Needed: <\/strong>The report urges a<strong> \u2018whole-of-government\u2019 strategy <\/strong>that unites health, education, nutrition, and child protection under a cohesive framework.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data-Driven Policy:<\/strong> Improved real-time data collection and monitoring are essential to track progress and target interventions effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Family-Based Care: <\/strong>UNICEF advocates for a shift from institutional care to family- and community-based child protection systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: Investing in the Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s <strong>demographic dividend<\/strong> will only bear fruit if today\u2019s children grow up <strong>healthy, educated, and secure<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Without bold reforms and targeted investment, millions will remain <strong>unseen, unheard, and unserved<\/strong> \u2014 excluded from the promise of national progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Discuss the various dimensions of deprivation faced by children in India. Examine the systemic reforms required to address the multifaceted deprivation faced by children in India.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/opinion\/editorial\/india-s-child-deprivation-problem-requires-urgent-systemic-reform-125112601412_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: BS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-1-December-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the \u2018State of the World\u2019s Children (SWOC) 2025\u2019 report by UNICEF, developing nations such as India face extreme child poverty and multidimensional child deprivation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60244"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60283,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60244\/revisions\/60283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}