Children in India

The Why?

India has the largest young population in the world.

40% of child malnutrition in the developing world is in India.

The declining number of girls in the 0-6 age-group is cause for alarm. For every 1,000 boys there are only 927 females -- even less in some places.

Of every 100 children who enrol, 70 drop out by the time they reach the secondary level. Of every 100 children who drop out of school, 66 are girls.

India is home to the highest number of child labourers in the world.

India has the world’s largest number of sexually abused children

Around 2.5 million children die in India every year, accounting for one in five deaths in the world, with girls being 50% more likely to die.

Every year, 12 million girls are born -- 3 million of whom do not survive to see their 15th birthday.

Children

Girl

Boy

Vulnerable

Problems

And how the government is trying to solve them using schemes and policies.

Malnutrition

• Midday meal scheme
• Integrated child development scheme
  • Anganwadi center
• National Children's Fund
  • Fund setup by the gov.
  • Form accessible at india.gov.in
• Nutrition program for adolescent girls
  • public distribution of food - for no cost to the families identified in this scheme

Education

• Midday meal scheme
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
  • Ensuring the right to education
• Operation Blackboard
  • supply the bare minimum crucial facilities to all primary schools in the country

Child Labour

• Scheme for working children in need of care and protection
  • provide working children with essential educational services
• National Child Labour project

Girl Child

• Balika Samriddhi Yojana
  • The scheme's aims at changing the negative attitude of families and communities towards the girl child
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana​
  • ​higher interest rate accounts
  • It is part of the government's efforts to encourage financial inclusion and increase domestic savings
• Kishori Shakti Yojna
• National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education
  • 3K fixed deposit.
  • ​For SC/ST or Kastrurba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas graduates.

Protection

• Article 15 “Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth” affirms the right to make special provision for women and children.

• Article 24 in The Constitution Of India 1949 - Prohibition of employment of children below 14 years of age.

• Article 39 (e) : tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength;

• Article 39 (f) requires children to be given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity, and that childhood and youth be protected against exploitation and moral and material abandonment.

• Article 45 of the Directive Principles of State Policy provides for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14.

Progress

Case Studies