<p>The ‘State of the World’s Children, 2025’ report, released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), highlights the extensive and elevated levels of child poverty in India, and underlines the need to eliminate it as a national priority. The report says that extreme child poverty is declining across the world, but India still carries one of the largest burdens of multidimensionally deprived children. It says more than one in five children in low- and middle-income countries, about 400 million globally, are deprived of at least two factors critical for their health: development and wellbeing. About 206 million Indian children experience at least one deprivation, and one-third of them face two or more. All areas, including nutrition, education, health, housing, and sanitation, need improvement. The national multidimensional poverty rate in India dropped from 29.2 per cent to 11.3 per cent between 2013-2014 and 2022-2023, and about 248 million people were lifted from a state of abject poverty. But children, who constitute the most vulnerable segment of the population, are most affected. Climate change affects children more than others. Four out of five children are exposed to at least one extreme climate hazard annually.</p>.Why India must take its antipoverty programmes seriously .<p>India will lose the potential benefit of its demographic dividend if it does not seriously address its problems of child deprivation. Every child has the right to a life without hunger, and to health and education, and it is the duty of the State to meet these basic needs. There are policies and schemes at the central and state levels that cater to the needs of children, but they need to be better framed, targeted, and implemented. The 2025-2026 Union Budget allocated Rs 26,890 crore for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, which included allocations for child welfare schemes. But the ministry’s share in central expenditure has fallen from 0.96 per cent in 2015-2016 to 0.5 per cent in 2025-2026. That shows that children’s welfare has received decreasing attention over the last 10 years.</p>.<p>While the general poverty and deprivation need to be addressed, the needs of children should be addressed separately, and they call for special attention. This idea has been recognised, but it needs more effective implementation for better outcomes. India has the largest number of stunted and underweight children in the world. The working of anganwadis needs improvement, and health and educational policies that benefit children should be better implemented. Technology is available for the implementation of schemes and policies, and for their monitoring. Unicef has a five-point programme for child wellbeing, which includes freedom from poverty and a life that ensures health, learning, security, and a clean environment. India should take the Unicef report as a suggestion for action, and a warning.</p>
<p>The ‘State of the World’s Children, 2025’ report, released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), highlights the extensive and elevated levels of child poverty in India, and underlines the need to eliminate it as a national priority. The report says that extreme child poverty is declining across the world, but India still carries one of the largest burdens of multidimensionally deprived children. It says more than one in five children in low- and middle-income countries, about 400 million globally, are deprived of at least two factors critical for their health: development and wellbeing. About 206 million Indian children experience at least one deprivation, and one-third of them face two or more. All areas, including nutrition, education, health, housing, and sanitation, need improvement. The national multidimensional poverty rate in India dropped from 29.2 per cent to 11.3 per cent between 2013-2014 and 2022-2023, and about 248 million people were lifted from a state of abject poverty. But children, who constitute the most vulnerable segment of the population, are most affected. Climate change affects children more than others. Four out of five children are exposed to at least one extreme climate hazard annually.</p>.Why India must take its antipoverty programmes seriously .<p>India will lose the potential benefit of its demographic dividend if it does not seriously address its problems of child deprivation. Every child has the right to a life without hunger, and to health and education, and it is the duty of the State to meet these basic needs. There are policies and schemes at the central and state levels that cater to the needs of children, but they need to be better framed, targeted, and implemented. The 2025-2026 Union Budget allocated Rs 26,890 crore for the Ministry of Women and Child Development, which included allocations for child welfare schemes. But the ministry’s share in central expenditure has fallen from 0.96 per cent in 2015-2016 to 0.5 per cent in 2025-2026. That shows that children’s welfare has received decreasing attention over the last 10 years.</p>.<p>While the general poverty and deprivation need to be addressed, the needs of children should be addressed separately, and they call for special attention. This idea has been recognised, but it needs more effective implementation for better outcomes. India has the largest number of stunted and underweight children in the world. The working of anganwadis needs improvement, and health and educational policies that benefit children should be better implemented. Technology is available for the implementation of schemes and policies, and for their monitoring. Unicef has a five-point programme for child wellbeing, which includes freedom from poverty and a life that ensures health, learning, security, and a clean environment. India should take the Unicef report as a suggestion for action, and a warning.</p>
