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Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • Highlights of ASER 2022

    aser

    Pratham’s Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) 2022 — the first full-fledged one after the pandemic has now been published.

    ASER Survey

    • This is an annual survey (published by the education non-profit Pratham) that aims to provide reliable estimates of children’s enrolment and basic learning levels for each district and state in India.
    • ASER has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India. It is the largest citizen-led survey in India.
    • It is also the only annual source of information on children’s learning outcomes available in India.
    • The survey is usually done once in two years.

    How is the survey conducted?

    • ASER tools and procedures are designed by ASER Centre, the research and assessment arm of Pratham.
    • The survey itself is coordinated by ASER Centre and facilitated by the Pratham network. It is conducted by close to 30,000 volunteers from partner organizations in each district.
    • All kinds of institutions partner with ASER: colleges, universities, NGOs, youth groups, women’s organizations, self-help groups, and others.
    • The ASER model has been adapted for use in several countries around the world: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Mali, and Senegal.

    Assessment parameters

    • Unlike most other large-scale learning assessments, ASER is a household-based rather than school-based survey.
    • This design enables all children to be included – those who have never been to school or have dropped out, as well as those who are in government schools, private schools, religious schools or anywhere else.
    • In each rural district, 30 villages are sampled. In each village, 20 randomly selected households are surveyed.
    • Information on schooling status is collected for all children living in sampled households who are in the age group 3-16.
    • Children in the age group 5-16 are tested in basic reading and basic arithmetic. The same test is administered to all children.
    • The highest level of reading tested corresponds to what is expected in std 2; in 2012 this test was administered in 16 regional languages.
    • In recent years, this has included household size, parental education, and some information on household assets.

    Highlights of ASER 2022

    The ASER 2022 report, which surveyed 6.99 lakh children aged 3 to 16 across 616 rural districts, however, bears some good news. School-level enrolment continues to grow strong and fewer girls are now out of school.

    (1) Enrolment

    • India has recorded a 95% enrolment for the last 15 years in the 6-14 age group.
    • Despite the pandemic forced school closure, the figure rose from 97.2% in 2018 to 98.4% in 2022.
    • Only 1.6% children are now not enrolled.
    • There is a clear increase in government school (6-14) enrolment across states — it rose from 65.6% in 2018 to 72.9% in 2022.
    • This is contrast to the trend in the 2006-14 period, which marked a steady decline in government school enrolment for the 6-14 age group.
    • From 10.3% of 11-14 year old girls not enrolled in schools in 2006, the proportion came down to 4.1% in 2018 and is at 2% in 2022. Save Uttar Pradesh, where it is at 4%, the number is lower across states.

    (2) Learning Loss

    • The ASER 2022 report says that children’s basic reading ability has dropped to ‘pre2012 levels, reversing the slow improvement achieved in the intervening years’.
    • The decline is seen across gender and across both government and private schools and is more acute in lower grades.
    • Percentage of children in Class III in govt or private schools who can read at Class II level dropped from 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022.
    • Class V students who can at least read a Class II level text fell from 50.5% in 2018 to 42.8% in 2022.
    • Nationally, 69.6% of Class VIII students can read at least basic text in 2022, falling from 73% in 2018.

    (3) Arithmetic abilities

    • Students in Class III who are able to at least do subtraction dropped from 28.2% in 2018 to 25.9% in 2022.
    • For Class V, students who can do division has also fallen from 27.9% in 2018 to 25.6% in 2022.
    • Class VIII has done better with an improvement recorded — proportion of children who can do division has increased from 44.1% in 2018 to 44.7% in 2022.
    • ASER says that this increase is driven by improved outcomes among girls as well as among children enrolled in government schools, whereas boys and children enrolled in private schools show a decline over 2018 levels.

    (4) Tuition dependency

    • Rural India has been reporting an uptick in Class I-VIII paid tuition classes and it has moved up from 26.4% in 2018 to 30.5% in 2022.
    • In UP, Bihar, and Jharkhand, the proportion of children taking paid private tuition increased by 8 percentage points.

    (5) English proficiency

    • ASER recorded English abilities last in 2016 and the trend stays similar till date.
    • Children’s ability to read simple English sentences was at 24.7% in 2016 and is found at 24.5% in 2022.
    • Class VIII has shown some improvement from 45.3% in 2016 to 46.7% in 2022.
    • Children’s basic reading ability has dropped to pre-2012 levels, reversing the slow improvement achieved in the intervening years, while the basic maths skills have declined to 2018 levels nationally.

    (6) Schools improvement

    • Average teacher attendance increased from 85.4% in 2018 to 87.1% in 2022, while average student attendance persists at 72% as before.
    • Textbooks had been distributed to all grades in 90.1% of primary schools and in 84.4% of upper primary schools.
    • Fraction of schools with useable girls’ toilets increased from 66.4% in 2018 to 68.4% in 2022.
    • There were 76% schools with drinking water facilities compared with 74.85% in 2018, but there are interstate variations.
    • In 2022, 68.9% schools had a playground, up slightly from 66.5% in 2018.

    Way forward

    • In the past 10 years, we’ve seen improvement, but it has been in small bits. So it means that we really need to shake up things.
    • It is a critical thing for improving the productivity of the country. Business as usual is not going to work.
    • Again, it’s not a new message, but it’s a message that needs to be reiterated.
    • There are Anganwadi everywhere and their enrollment has gone up. Integration between the Anganwadi system and the school system is urgently needed because the work starts there.

     

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  • [pib] Grameen Udyami Scheme

    grameen

    The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship the felicitation program of 200 tribal women under the Grameen Udyami Scheme.

    Grameen Udyami Scheme

    • It was launched to augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth.
    • It is a unique multiskilling project, funded by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) that aims to train tribal students in select states.
    • It is implemented under Sansadiya Parisankul Yojana.
    • Under the program, 49 ST clusters in 15 states of India have been selected by 40 tribal MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
    • Under their leadership, the scheme in respective clusters is being implemented.
    • One development associate is appointed by the MPs in each cluster.

    Stated objectives

    • Increase in Rural/Local Economy
    • Enhance employment opportunities
    • Reduce forced migration due to lack of local opportunities
    • Conservation of natural resources

    Scope of the project

    • The project is being implemented in six states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.

    Benefits

    • Transportation, boarding & lodging during the learning period is provided to candidates
    • The training under the project will be conducted in the job roles which are relevant to the local economy.

     

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  • Voting Rights of Migrant Workers

    Voting

    Context

    • It is very worrying that a third of the eligible voters, a whopping 30 crore people, do not vote. Among the many reasons, including urban apathy and geographical constraints, one prominent reason is the inability of internal migrants to vote for different reasons.

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    Voting

    What are the efforts by election commission to address the problem?

    • Committee of Officers on Domestic Migrants: The Election Commission had earlier formed a “Committee of Officers on Domestic Migrants” to address this issue. The Committee’s report submitted in 2016 suggested a solution in the form of “remote voting”.
    • All party representative: To further address this serious problem, the EC invited representatives from all recognised national and state political parties to discuss the legal, administrative, and statutory changes to resolve the issue.
    • All party consensus: The discussion took place in the presence of a technical expert committee. It is important to recall that the last major decision about the voting system was the introduction of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), with the consensus of all political parties in 2010.

    Migrant workers and their voting rights

    • Least represented group: The Constitution guarantees freedom of movement to every citizen and freedom to reside in any part of the country. However, migrant workers, especially circular or short-term migrants, constituting tens of millions of citizens are some of the least represented groups in the ballot.
    • Lack of access to vote: The issue of disenfranchisement faced by migrant workers is not one arising out of deliberate denial of the right to vote, but for lack of access to vote.
    • Fundamental right: The Supreme Court, in a series of cases, has conclusively interpreted the freedom to access the vote as within the ambit of Article 19(1)(a).

    Voting

    Problems related to migrant workers and Voting

    • Large scale migration: According to the 2011 Census, the number of internal migrants stands at 450 million, a 45 per cent surge from the 2001 census. Among these, 26 per cent of the migration (117 million) occurs inter-district within the same state, while 12 per cent of the migration (54 million) occurs inter-state.
    • Alienation by residency criteria: The root cause of the migrant voters’ issue is that the individual’s inalienable right to vote is conditioned by a rather strict residency qualification. As a consequence, it tends to disenfranchise the migrant population.
    • 60% migrants could not vote: In the survey report, ‘Political inclusion of Seasonal Migrant Workers in India: Perceptions, Realities and Challenges’ by Aajeevika Bureau, it was found that “close to 60 per cent of respondents had missed voting in elections at least once because they were away from home seeking livelihood options”.

    What is the way forward?

    • Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System: Section 60(c) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 empowers the Election Commission of India, in consultation with the government, to notify “classes” of voters who are unable to vote in person at their constituencies owing to their physical or social circumstances. Once notified, the voters are eligible for the ETPB system (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System). In the 2019 general elections, the ETPB system was accessed by 18 lakh defence personnel across the country.
    • Postal ballots for migrants: In 2019, in the backdrop of a PIL before the Supreme Court, a bill was floated to extend a similar remote voting possibility to over 10 million adult NRIs in order to “boost their participation in nation-building”. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, more than 28 lakh votes were received via postal ballots.
    • Migrants are also equal citizens: In the existing system, remote voting within the constituency by voting via postal ballot is available to senior citizens, people with disabilities, and Covid-affected personnel. The postal ballot voting outside the constituency is available only to service voters, persons on election duty and persons on preventive detention. The Indian migrant worker too deserves the secured right to have access to vote through some mechanism.
    • Remote electronic voting machine: The Election Commission has proposed the use of remote voting for migrant workers wherein a modified version of the existing model of M3 EVMs will be placed at remote polling stations. In fact, the Electronic Corporation of India Ltd. has already developed a prototype of a Multi-constituency Remote EVM (RVM) a modified version of the existing EVM which can handle 72 constituencies in a single remote polling booth. Technical details will be available only after the crucial demonstration.

    Voting

    Conclusion

    • Migrant workers are also the equal citizens of the country. Social-economic and structural barriers should not the hurdle in there right to vote. Election commission of India has taken the step in the right direction. However, consensus needs to be built over the voting rights of migrants.

    Mains Question

    Q. What are the problems faced by migrant workers in exercise of there voting rights? What is the way forward towards ensuring voting rights to migrants?

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  • Mental Health Problem and effective policy

    Mental Health

    Context

    • The fifth Global Mental Health Summit, co-sponsored by over half a dozen organisations engaged with mental health, was held in Chennai to discuss mental health in the context of human rights, ethics and justice. Highlighting the importance of mental health, it gave a call for action against the continued neglect by society at large and the governments at central and state levels, in particular.

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    Findings of national mental health survey

    • The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS): The latest National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) conducted by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and WHO, was published in 2016.
    • Prevalence of mental disorder: According to the survey, the prevalence of mental disorders among adults in India is around 10.6%. The most common disorders were anxiety disorders (7.3%) and mood disorders (4.5%).
    • Higher among women than men: The survey also found that the prevalence of mental disorders was higher among women than men, and that the majority of people with mental disorders did not receive any treatment.
    • Prevalence of mental disorders is higher in urban areas: It also found that the prevalence of mental disorders was higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and that there was a higher prevalence of mental disorders among people with lower levels of education and income.
    • Gap in treatment coverage for people with mental disorder : The survey highlighted that there is a significant gap in treatment coverage for people with mental disorders, and that the majority of people with mental disorders do not receive any treatment.
    • Plan for mental health: The survey has provided an important information for Indian government and mental health professional to plan and implement mental health programs and policies in the country.

    Mental Health

    What constitutes good policy making on mental health?

    • Policy should be based on research and findings: Policies should be based on sound research and evidence from scientific studies. This helps to ensure that policies are effective in addressing mental health issues and are not based on assumptions or stereotypes.
    • Active engagement of stakeholders: Policy making should involve a wide range of stakeholders, including people with lived experience of mental health issues, mental health professionals, and representatives from relevant government departments and non-governmental organizations.
    • A comprehensive and integrated approach: Mental health policies should be comprehensive and address a wide range of issues, including prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery. They should also be integrated with other policies, such as those related to education, housing, and employment.
    • Ensure easy access to mental health care: policies should ensure that people have access to appropriate and affordable mental health care, including both medication and psychosocial therapies.
    • Public awareness and Sensitization : policies should ensure that people with mental health issues are treated with dignity and respect, and that their human rights are protected.

    Case study: How India tackled HIV/AIDS?

    • Active surveillance system: The need for crafting strategic interventions based on epidemiological evidence from an active surveillance system.
    • Modelling different options: The importance of modelling different options of addressing the wide array of interventions required in different geographies, among different target groups, to provide the data related to cost effectiveness as well as efficacy of the interventions required for scaling up.
    • Proactive advocacy of systemic issues among all influencers: The proactive advocacy of systemic issues among all influencers the media, judiciary, politicians, police and other intersectoral departments whose programmes and activities have had a direct bearing on the key populations being worked on.
    • Community engagement: The use of peer leaders and civil society that was allocated over 25 per cent of the budget. Though a central sector programme was fully funded by the central government, every intervention was formulated with active participation and dialogue among the states and constituencies of local leaders.

    Mental Health

    Strategy for better implementation of mental health policy

    • Clear goals and objectives: Having clear and measurable goals and objectives can help to ensure that policies are implemented effectively and that progress can be tracked.
    • Training and capacity building: Providing training and capacity building for mental health professionals, as well as for other relevant stakeholders such as community leaders, can help to ensure that policies are implemented effectively.
    • Community engagement: Involving communities in the planning and implementation of mental health policies can help to ensure that policies are responsive to the specific needs and priorities of local populations.
    • Monitoring and evaluation: Regularly monitoring and evaluating the implementation of policies can help to identify any barriers or challenges, and make adjustments as necessary.
    • Multi-sectoral approach: Adopting a multi-sectoral approach that involves collaboration between different sectors, such as health, education, social welfare, housing, and employment can help to ensure that policies are implemented in a coordinated and effective manner.
    • Policy flexibility: Policies should be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances, and be responsive to feedback and suggestions from the community and stakeholders.

    latest research in mental health domain

    • The growing recognition of the importance of early intervention in mental health: Research has shown that early intervention can prevent mental health issues from becoming more severe, and can help individuals to recover more quickly.
    • The use of technology in mental health: There has been an increase in the use of technology, such as mobile apps, virtual reality, and teletherapy, to deliver mental health care. Studies have shown that these technologies can be effective in improving mental health outcomes.
    • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: The pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, and research has been conducted to understand the extent of the impact and to develop strategies to mitigate it.
    • Advancements in brain imaging and genetics: Researchers are using brain imaging techniques and genetic studies to gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of mental disorders and to develop more effective treatments.
    • The use of personalized medicine in mental health: There is growing interest in the use of personalized medicine, which involves using genetic and other information to tailor treatment to the individual patient, to improve mental health outcomes.
    • The benefits of nature-based interventions for mental health: Studies have shown that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health, including reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
    • The importance of social determinants of mental health: Research has highlighted the importance of social determinants such as poverty, education, and social support in mental health.
    • The importance of addressing mental health in the workplace: Studies have highlighted the impact of workplace stress and burnout on mental health and the importance of workplace interventions to promote mental well-being.

    Do you know Neuralink?

    • Neuralink is a gadget that will be surgically inserted into the brain using robotics. In this procedure, a chipset called the link is implanted in the skull.
    • Neuralink can be used to operate encephalopathy. It can also be used as a connection between the human brain and technology which means people with paralysis can easily operate their phones and computer directly with their brain.

    Mental Health

    Conclusion

    • Mental health problems and not related to age of persons. From children to old age all can suffer from this menace. Government of the must formulated, implement the effective, resulted oriented mental health policy as earliest as possible

    Mains Question

    Q. What factors need to be taken care while drafting sound mental health policy? Suggest a strategy for better implementation of metal health policy.

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  • Child Marriages and Personal Laws

    child-marriage

    The Supreme Court has decided to examine whether girls as young as 15 years can enter into wedlock on the basis of custom or personal law when such marriages constitute an offence in statutory law.

    Why discuss this?

    • Under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936, Special Marriage Act, 1954 and Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the minimum age of marriage for a man is 21 years and for a woman is 18 years.
    • However, under the Muslim personal law in India, which continues to remain uncodified and unconsolidated, persons who gave attained puberty are eligible to get married i.e. on attaining the age of 15 years.
    • The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has sought to amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, to increase the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years.

    What is Child Marriage?

    • Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult and another child.
    • The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, fixes 21 years as the marriageable age for women.

    Reasons behind its prevalence

    • Role of poverty: A large proportion of child marriages take place primarily because of poverty and the burden of the huge costs of dowry associated with delayed marriages.
    • Norms: It is because of social norms in many regions and cultures that parents begin preparations for a girl’s marriage once she has reached puberty.
    • Crisis: Conflict increases the inequalities that make girls vulnerable to child marriage – and its consequences. Families may arrange marriages for girls, believing marriage will protect their daughters from violence.

    Issues with Child Marriage

    (1) Social implications

    • Impacts girl child more: Globally, the prevalence of child marriage among boys is just one sixth that among girls.
    • Leads to deprivation: Child marriage robs girls of their childhood and threatens their lives and health.
    • Exclusion: The practice can also isolate girls from family and friends and exclude them from participating in their communities, taking a heavy toll on their physical and psychological well-being.
    • Academic loss: Girls who marry before 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence and less likely to remain in school.

    (2) Health issues

    • Life threats: Child brides often become pregnant during adolescence, when the risk of mortality during for themselves and their infants.
    • Forced pregnancy: Girls are forced into adulthood before they is physically and mentally ready. This is the main cause of global prevalence of malnutrition.

    (3) Economic impacts

    • Child marriage negatively affects the Indian economy and can lead to an intergenerational cycle of poverty.
    • It suddenly pulls out the children involved out of workforce before they grow as adult.
    • Girls and boys married as children more likely lack the skills, knowledge and job prospects needed to lift their families out of poverty and contribute to their country’s social and economic growth.

    What is the situation in the world?

    • According to data from UNICEF, the total number of girls married in childhood stands at 12 million per year.
    • It strives to end the practice by 2030 — the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Where does India stand?

    GOOD:  Declining trend

    • There is a growing trend for a decline in the overall prevalence of child marriage.
    • In India, child marriage reduced from 47.4% in 2005-06 to 26.8% in 2015-16, registering a decline of 21% points during the decade.
    • In the last five years, it declined by 3.5% points to reach 23.3% in 2020-21, according to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 data.

    BAD: State-wise disparity is very higher

    • However, 3% is still a disturbingly high percentage in a country with a population of 141.2 crore.
    • Some states have a higher prevalence than the national average — West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura top the list with more than 40% of women aged 20-24 years married below 18 (NFHS).
    • In Kerala, women who got married before the age of 18 stood at 6.3% in 2019-20, from 7.6% in 2015-16.

    Laws and policy interventions in India

    • There are crucial laws that aim at protecting children from violation of human and other rights including the-
    1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and
    2. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
    • Raising the age of marriage: A parliamentary standing committee is weighing the pros and cons of raising the age of marriage for women to 21, which has been cleared by the Union Cabinet.
    • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme: It aims to address the issue of the declining child sex ratio image (CSR).
    • Kanyashree scheme: West Bengal’s scheme offers financial aid to girls wanting to pursue higher studies, though women’s activists have pointed. Bihar and other States have been implementing a cycle scheme to ensure girls reach safely to school, and UP has a scheme to encourage girls to go back to school.

    Way forward

    • Ensure education: Much of the benefits can be reaped by ensuring that women complete education at least up to 12 years.
    • Upskilling: Bangladesh shows that improving women’s education and imparting modern skills to them that increase their employability reduces child marriage and improves health and nutrition.
    • Educational attainment criteria in schemes: Schemes which ease the financial burden of marriage but the eligibility criteria of which should essentially link to educational attainment in addition to age demand attention.

    Conclusion

    • A legalistic approach to increasing the age at marriage will produce positive results only if it leads to an improvement in women’s education and skill acquisition for employability.
    • In the absence of an enhancement in women’s schooling or skills, a legalistic approach to ending child marriage might become counterproductive.

     

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  • Free foodgrain scheme named ‘PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana’

    The Centre has named its new free foodgrain scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013, as ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)’.

    PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

    • PM had approved the new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains for a year beginning January 1, 2023 to beneficiaries under the NFSA –
    1. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
    2. Primary Household (PHH)

    How is it different from earlier scheme?

    • The difference between the two schemes is that about 81 crore NFSA beneficiaries were entitled to get free of cost 5 kg foodgrain per person in a month over and above their monthly entitlements.
    • However, they were required to pay the subsidised rate of foodgrains (Rs 3 per kg rice, Rs 2 per kg wheat and Rs 1 per kg coarse grains) to purchase the quantity for which they were entitled–35 kg per Antyoday Anna Yojana Household and 5kg per person to a Priority Household in a month.
    • In the new scheme, the government has done away with the subsided prices and is providing foodgrains free of cost for a year.
    • Now the additional quantity, which was available during the Covid pandemic, will not be provided to these beneficiaries.
    • They will receive as much quantity of foodgrains, for which they are entitled under the NFSA.

    Implementation strategy

    • For effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of Department of Food & Public Distribution –
    1. Food Subsidy to FCI and
    2. Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement, allocation and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA

    National Food Security (NFS) Act

    • The NFS Act, of 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
    • It was signed into law on 12 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013.
    • It converts into legal entitlements for the existing food security program of the GoI.
    • It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
    • Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
    • The Midday Meal Scheme and the ICDS are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
    • Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.

    Key provisions of NFSA

    • The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at a subsidized price.
    • It includes rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
    • These are called central issue prices (CIPs).

     

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  • Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India

    Context

    • Between the National Family Health Survey (N

      nutrition

      FHS)-4 (2015–16) and the fifth round (2019–2020), there has been a considerable increase in the number of malnourished children in India, and the progress made during the first half of the decade appears to have been undone. Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India is worse than the country average.

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    What is malnutrition?

    • Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
    • For a child’s motor, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional development, malnutrition has substantial long-term effects. It impedes productivity and academic progress.

    nutrition

    The term malnutrition covers two broad groups of conditions

    • Undernutrition: Undernutrition includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
    • Overnutition: The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).

    Did you know?

    • Stunting, or low height for age, is a recognized risk factor for children’s delayed development.
    • According to a study, a 1% reduction in adult height as a result of childhood stunting is linked to a 1.4% reduction in economic productivity.
    • Children who are stunted, earn 20% less as adults.

    Malnutrition in North East India

    • Upsurge in stunting: Four states in the Northeast Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura have seen an upsurge in stunting among children under the age of five. Stunting is highest in Meghalaya at 46.8 %, followed by Nagaland (32.7%), Tripura (32.3 %), and Mizoram (28.9%). In Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, the percentage of kids who are stunted, wasting, underweight, or overweight has increased
    • Levels of stunting decreased in Assam: The NFHS-5 shows Assam, Manipur and Sikkim have shown a drop in stunting levels. In Assam, stunting has decreased by almost one percentage point, although rates of overweight (2.3% to 4.9%), underweight (29.8% to 32.8%), and stunting (17% to 21.7%) have all increased, whereas that of wasting and underweight have decreased by more than 2% in each instance.
    • Sikkim performs better than other NE states: As the number of stunted, wasting, and underweight children has dropped, Sikkim has done considerably better than other NE states so has Manipur, with a decrease in wasting from 6.8% to 9.9% in under-five children.
    • Increase in no of overweight people in every NE state: Every state in the Northeast saw an increase in the number of overweight people, which amplifies the growing double burden of malnutrition in the states.

    Appropriate foods and feeding practices show Higher immunity

    • Feeding practices adequate only in Meghalaya and Tripura:  The percentages of breastfeeding children receiving adequate complementary foods have improved only in Meghalaya and Tripura. Early initiation of breastfeeding is on the decline in six out of the eight northeastern states, with highest levels in Sikkim (33.5%) and Assam (15.3%).
    • Reduction in exclusive breastfeeding rates (EBF): Sikkim, Tripura, and Manipur all exhibit a notable reduction in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. EBF in Sikkim is the lowest at 28.3 percent, far lower than the national average of 63.7 percent. Tripura demonstrated a gain of 39.5 percentage points in the practice of timely introduction of semi-solid food, whereas Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh showed a slight fall.
    • All NE states except Assam performed well on diet adequacy: Minimum Adequate Diet (or diet adequacy) is a combined indicator of feeding frequency and diet variety. From 8% to 29.8%, there is a significant range throughout the northeastern states. All states, with the exception of Assam, have performed better on this measure than the nation as a whole.
    • The situation with obesity is more complicated: Only Meghalaya and Nagaland have seen decreases, while the other six states have seen increases. It is heartening to see a declining trend in underweight women (BMI < 18.5) in all eight northeastern states.
    • Anaemia is increased: In six of the eight northeastern states, anaemia among women of reproductive age has increased, with Tripura worst at 67.2%, and Assam at 65.9%.

    nutrition

    How malnutrition can be tackled in NE?

    • Finding out the causes: Stunting among children in the Northeast is caused by a number of factors, including poor maternal health, a lack of antenatal care, inadequate infrastructure and healthcare facilities, inadequate feeding and nutrition for women, and limited access to education, clean drinking water, and sanitary facilities.
    • For instance: Lack of toilets, drinking water and cooking fuels in the home environment have an impact on child malnutrition, according to a 2015 study on indigenous peoples in the Northeast.
    • Improving the maternal nutrition: Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim fare better than the national average in most measures. Newborns’ chances of being stunted are decreased by better maternal nutrition prior to conception, throughout pregnancy, and after delivery. According to data for Sikkim, Manipur, and Mizoram, the risk of stunting decreases as the number of underweight mothers decreases.
    • Upgrading the service availability: In the northeastern states, the use of supplementary food at the anganwadi centres (ANC) varies greatly, from about 35% in Arunachal Pradesh to 70% in Tripura. A low of 20.7% in Nagaland and a high of 79.4% in Manipur is the ANC coverage across the Northeast.
    • Improving the required intake of Iron and Folic acid: All states have lower percentages of iron and folic acid (IFA) intake than the national average of 26%, with the exception of Manipur where 30.3% of pregnant women completed the full 180-day course of IFA tablets. Nagaland has the lowest rate, at just 4.1%. Overall, the NE states show a wide variation in service availability and uptake.

    nutrition

    Note it down: The innovative programmes to enhance mother and child health

    • Nutrition gardens: For example, the Assam government encouraged women in rural communities to develop “nutrition gardens” where they could grow vegetables.
    • My school my Farm: “Kan Sikul, Kan Huan (My School, My Farm)” programme in the most impoverished and disaster-prone area in Mizoram-Lawngtlai.
    • Lunchbox exchange: The “dibbi adaan pradaan (lunchbox exchange)” initiative in Hailakandi district of Assam for promoting better nutrition and variety in menu.

    Conclusion

    • Malnutrition in the Northeast has to be addressed holistically through the scaling up of direct nutrition interventions and the coupling of them with nutrition-sensitive measures to close the nutrition gap. In the long run, it could be beneficial to improve the monitoring and evaluation of current interventions by building on the POSHAN Abhiyaan and health projects.

    Mains question

    Q. What is Malnutrition? Malnutrition in the North-eastern states of India is worse than the country average. Discuss.

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  • NCPCR draft guidelines for trying Minors as Adults

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has come up with draft guidelines on the preliminary assessment of whether certain minors are to be tried under law as adults in particular cases, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

    Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and Adults

    • The JJ Act, 2015 replaced the Indian juvenile delinquency law, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
    • It allows for juveniles in conflict with Law in the age group of 16–18, involved in Heinous Offences, to be tried as adults.
    • The Act also sought to create a universally accessible adoption law for India.
    • It came into force from 15 January 2016.

    Preliminary assessment as per the JJ Act

    • Assessment of the offender child: The Act directs that the Board shall consider the mental and physical capacity of the child for committing the alleged offence, the ability to understand the consequences of the offence, and the circumstances in which the offence was committed.
    • Psychological ‘trial’: It states that the Board can take the assistance of experienced psychologists or psychosocial workers or other experts. The Act also gives a disclaimer that the assessment is not a trial, but is only to assess the capacity of the child to commit and understand the consequences of the alleged offence.
    • Arriving at conclusion: After the assessment, the Board can pass an order saying there is a need to try the said child as an adult and transfer the case to a children’s court with the relevant jurisdiction.
    • Penalty: If tried as a minor, the child could be sent to a special home for a maximum of three years. If tried as an adult, the child can be sentenced to a jail term, except being sentenced to death or life imprisonment without the possibility of release.

    Why has the NCPCR come up with draft guidelines now?

    • The Supreme Court is hearing a case related to the murder of a Class 2 student in Haryana, allegedly by a 16-year-old.
    • The task of preliminary assessment under the JJ Act is a ‘delicate task’, concluded SC.
    • It said that the consequences of the assessment on whether the child is to be tried as an adult or a minor are “serious in nature and have a lasting effect for the entire life of the child”.
    • It said that the assessment requires expertise and directed that appropriate and specific guidelines be put in place.
    • It had left it open to the Central government and the National and State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights to consider issuing the guidelines.

    Major draft guidelines by NCPCR

    The draft relying on already existing provisions in the Act says that the preliminary assessment has to determine following aspects:

    • Physical capacity of the child: To determine the child’s ‘locomotor’ abilities and capacities, particularly with regard to gross motor functions such as walking, running, lifting, throwing
such abilities as would be required to engage in most antisocial activities.
    • Mental capacity: To determine the child’s ability to make social decisions and judgments. It also directs assessments pertaining to mental health disorders, substance abuse, and life skills deficits.
    • Circumstances in which the offence was allegedly committed: Psychosocial vulnerabilities of the child. This is to include life events, any trauma, abuse, and mental health problems, stating that the offence behaviour is a cumulative consequence of a lot of other circumstances.
    • Ability to understand the consequences of the alleged offence: To determine the child’s knowledge or understanding of the alleged offence’s social, interpersonal and legal consequences. These include what others will say or perceive him, how it might affect his personal relationships and the knowledge of relevant laws, respectively.
    • Building a rapport: It also states that the experts must be given an optimal opportunity to interact with the child to build a rapport. Experts can be from the field of child psychology and psychiatry. It also states they must undergo regular training.
    • Others: Other reports that the Board is to rely on include the Social Investigation Report, Social Background Report an Individual Care Plan, statements of witnesses and interaction with parents, guardians, school staff, peer groups and neighbours.

    Way forward

    • Government should amend JJ Act 2015.
    • Such an amendment would go a long way in providing the requisite balance between the rationales underlying the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system and realizing the objectives professed by both.

     

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  • Vishwaguru aspirations and the internationalization of Indian higher education

    education

    Context

    • The 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) was a pathbreaking moment in the annals of Indian higher education. The policy envisions a complete overhaul and re-energising of the higher education system. The just announced University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023, have re-ignited debates on the internationalization of Indian higher education.

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    education

    Major factors that influence Internationalization of higher education

    • Prohibitive costs of higher education, especially in developed countries: Indian students must pay approximately Rs 70 lakh per annum to study at Harvard, Yale or Stanford and over Rs 55 lakh per annum to study at Oxford or Cambridge. Tuition fees alone would be about 15 times more expensive than Indian private universities. The new proposal vitiates the NEP’s vision of equity and inclusion as it envisages higher education only for the super-rich.
    • The establishment costs of top university campuses make the project unviable: The vision of uniform academic standards in both the parent university and its international campus is a noble aspiration. However, the reality is international campuses have become a second-rate option, primarily accessible to those unable to get admission to the main campus. The quality and excellence in teaching and research on overseas campuses cannot match those in their primary location.
    • The landscape of global higher education has dramatically changed post-Covid: The idea of brick-and-mortar international campuses has given way to building solid partnerships, student and faculty mobility, exchange and immersion programmes, joint teaching and research opportunities, collaborative conferences and publications and the development of online and blended degree programmes. The global thinking around international collaborations has changed.

    Steps to become a global leader in international education

    • Greater autonomy to Indian universities as well as Institutions of Eminence (IoE): Indian universities, both public and private, are generally highly regulated and poorly governed. The ingrained institutional habit of regulatory bodies instructing universities on what they should be doing must stop. The government must pay greater attention to the IoEs and expand their scope and scale so that they become natural destinations for international students.
    • Establishing universities more of global orientation and outlook: Establish global universities in India led by the public and the private sector to cater to the needs and aspirations of international students. India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is lopsided. The national GER is approximately 22 per cent but there are states, such as Tamil Nadu, with a GER of 52 per cent. We must build more public and private universities across the country, with greater autonomy, resources and better governance structures, minimising the role of the regulatory bodies.
    • Provide more resources to all the Indian universities: Indian universities face acute resource scarcity. The NEP has envisaged a six per cent annual investment in higher education and a National Research Foundation to allocate additional resources. Government must encourage CSR and philanthropic initiatives with more tax incentives to enable private sector contributions to public and private universities.
    • Breaking the barriers, bias and prejudices and hierarchy: The NEP envisages breaking the long-standing barriers between public and private institutions. But many biases and prejudices persist. An institutionalised hierarchy in the Indian higher education system replicates the caste system. First, the IITs and the IIMs are placed high in the pecking order, followed by the central universities. Next come the IISERs, NITs and much lower down are the state public universities.
    • Establish a liberal and progressive regulatory ecosystem for Indian universities to attract international students: Much more than reforms in the education sector will be needed if India is to become a sought-after international destination for students from developing countries. Government must reform its visa processes and the FRRO registration procedures. There must be a significant improvement in the quality of infrastructure and hostels on university campuses. The safety, security and well-being of the students, especially women, must be ensured. Other forms of university towns and education cities can create a comprehensive ecosystem that will enable students and faculty to study, work and live in these communities.

    education

    What should be the India’s approach?

    • Focus on becoming global higher education destination in our own right: Instead of enabling the creation of international campuses of universities from developed countries, we need to focus on becoming a global higher education destination in our own right.
    • Assume leadership role to realise Vishwaguru aspiration: We will not realise the Vishwaguru aspiration by inviting prestigious foreign universities to locate campuses. We must assume the leadership role we had over 2,000 years ago when Nalanda, Takshashila, Vallabhi and Vikramshila attracted faculty and students from around the world.
    • High quality education in affordable cost: We can be truly global leaders in providing high-quality education at an affordable cost. Likewise, we can produce high-quality research at a relatively lower cost.
    • For instance: Indian scientists made a successful mission to Mars with a modest budget of $74 million, less than the production cost of $108 million for Gravity, a Hollywood film.

    education

    Conclusion

    • The vision of India becoming a Vishwaguru cannot be achieved by outsourcing Indian higher education to international universities. Instead of enabling the creation of international campuses of universities from developed countries, it must focus on becoming a global higher education destination in its own right.

    Mains question

    Q. India strives to become a global leader in international education. Discuss what steps need to take and what should be the India’s approach?

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  • Online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).

    online

    Context

    • With the increasing popularity of social media platforms, utilisation of education apps and shift to online classes, children these days have a much higher chance of being exposed to harmful content. Hence, the need to secure children’s welfare and safety online is more urgent than ever.

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    Online Child Sexual Abuse

    • Definition: Online child sexual abuse and exploitation refers to activities such as the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), live streaming sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually explicit material, exhibitionism and meeting the abuser in-person.
    • Psychological harm to children: This poses serious harm to children who experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma, and depression.
    • Behavioural changes: It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower motivation for academics.
    • Problems in adult life: It doesn’t end there, as the consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching and may well extend into adulthood bringing forth issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal relationships.

    online

    Challenges in tackling online abuse

    • Encryption and anonymity: The rapidly evolving digital landscape and advances in information technology have given rise to better encryption services and the dark net, which provide a safe cover of anonymity to offenders, allowing them to engage in child sexual abuse.
    • Pace of response is still slow: Needless to say, the danger and complexity of online abuse has escalated at an alarming rate and needs to be dealt with swiftly. Moreover, the ubiquitous nature of the internet and online interaction has made it so that almost all cases of child sexual abuse feature a virtual aspect. Therefore, a broad perspective and a systems-level approach should be considered when deciding on strategies to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA).
    • Limited capacity of police: Broadly speaking, the main administrative challenges when dealing with OCSEA are limited law enforcement capacities, gaps in legislative framework, and a lack of awareness and urgency around the issue.
    • Understaffing of workforce: The workforce in relevant social welfare organisations is understaffed. The need of the hour is close collaboration between non-traditional partners from the industry, government ministries dealing in technological communication, and law enforcement. Provisions should be in place to prevent future cases and safeguard the victims or survivors.

    Efforts by India in fighting OCSEA

    • Improved mechanism and new tools: India have made a significant effort to tackle the wave of rising OCSEA cases in recent years. Not only has it improved the mechanism for reporting online offences against children, but it has also developed new tools and software to control and remove the presence of CSAM on social media and other platforms.
    • Sensitise school and boosting capacity: Efforts have also been made to sensitise schools and boost the technological capacity of law enforcement agencies to further deal with the issue. Although this four-pronged model has shown some promising results, it is surpassed by the exponential rise in cases across the country.

    online

    What are steps that can be taken?

    • Evaluate and improve the governance systems: It is imperative to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of cross-sectoral governance mechanisms that are set up to systematise the national response to child sexual abuse material.
    • Fast tracking the cases: The huge backlog for cases of OCSEA in India must also be fast-tracked. As for prevention, institutionalising the collection of national-level data on CSAM can also assist in strengthening children’s online security. The recent Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology can provide an opportunity to meet this exigency.
    • Clear mandate and responsibility of stakeholders: There should be further development of clear mandates and creation of a logical framework of roles and duties of all relevant stakeholders within standard operating procedures for investigation. Continuous dialogue between the industry, government and other collaborators, with a distinct agenda and division of responsibilities is necessary.
    • Training of enforcement agency: Industry partners, in particular the IT industry, must be provided with suitable training and awareness of the magnitude of OCSEA, along with proper toolkits and guidance. Promoting a systematic and constant approach to training the judiciary and prosecution on CSAM can prove beneficial, if centred around child-sensitive protocols.
    • Reparation for victims: In the same vein, comprehensive remedies or reparations for victims are just as important and need to be handled by a specialised workforce.
    • Parental and community training: Basic online safety measures, parental support initiatives and community awareness training can be integrated into existing education programmes for violence prevention, and sensitising the most vulnerable audience. Existing systems must be evaluated by monitoring and documenting their overall effectiveness and accessibility, including assessment of relevant hotlines and portals (checking to see if they are linked to relevant referral systems), and analysing context-specific reasons for limitations.
    • Ethical media reporting: Dedicated effort must be made to aid ethical and informed media reporting on relevant cases.

    online

    Conclusion

    • A collaborative effort of various institutions across the nation is required to build a safer cyberspace. The highest priority is assessment of current OCSEA response systems and reporting mechanisms, stricter implementation of prevention laws, and adequate resources to sustain these efforts. The end goal must be to ensure long-term safeguards for online platforms that allow secure navigation for minors and a disruption of the actions of offenders.

    Mains Question

    Q. What are the challenges in fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse? What steps can be taken to tackle OCSEA?

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