By Raju Kumar
BHOPAL: In recent years, digital processes have expanded rapidly across almost every sector. The use of technology has also increased in various welfare schemes run by the central and state governments for targeted groups. This can improve monitoring and transparency, but it becomes a matter of concern when eligible people are excluded from schemes because they are unable to complete a technical process. This is even more important in programmes related to children’s food and nutrition, as child malnutrition continues to be a serious concern in India. Aadhaar, e-KYC, facial recognition or technical requirements linked to an app should not result in a child being denied food and nutrition. Technology can help improve schemes and their monitoring, but such requirements can make access to food and nutrition services more difficult for children from poor, migrant, tribal and other disadvantaged families.
According to the National Family Health Survey-6, 29.3 per cent of children under five in India are stunted, 19 per cent are wasted and 31.8 per cent are underweight. These indicators have improved compared to the previous National Family Health Survey, but the fact that nearly one in every three children is still underweight for their age shows that the challenge remains serious. Adequate and diverse food during the first two years of a child’s life is also an important foundation for good nutrition. Addressing malnutrition, therefore, requires multidimensional efforts.
The foundation of a child’s nutrition is laid during pregnancy itself. Adequate nutrition and health services for pregnant women, breastfeeding after birth, adequate and diverse complementary food after six months, clean water, protection from infections and timely access to health services are all directly linked to a child’s development. This is followed by food and nutrition support provided through Anganwadi Centres and schools. Therefore, along with efforts to improve the weight of a child once malnutrition is identified, it is equally important to address the conditions that lead to malnutrition in the first place.
Anganwadi Centres have an important role in this entire system. For children from poor, tribal, remote and disadvantaged families, an Anganwadi Centre provides not only nutrition support but also health services and early childhood care. There is a need for an adequate number of Anganwadi Centres with proper buildings, water, electricity and sanitation facilities, along with sufficient numbers of trained workers. Equal attention must be given to the quality of food. Hot cooked meals can be prepared using locally available pulses, millets, vegetables and other nutritious foods. In schools, local foods and kitchen gardens should be encouraged, along with measures to address the increasing consumption of junk food among children.
The nutrition and social security of mothers are also closely connected with this issue. When women working in the informal sector do not receive adequate financial support during pregnancy and after childbirth, it affects the nutrition of both the mother and the child. Along with expanding access to maternity entitlements, attention is also needed on crèches and early childhood care for children below three years of age. The situation is more difficult for children of migrant workers and for homeless and displaced families. If a child is excluded from Anganwadi services, school meals, food or health services because of the lack of identity documents or a permanent address, the impact is greatest on families that are already disadvantaged.
There is also a need to increase the participation of local communities in children’s food programmes. Involving local self-help groups, cooks, farmers, Gram Panchayats, parents and School Management Committees can help improve both the quality of food and its monitoring. Procurement of pulses, millets and other nutritious foods from local farmers can provide children with diverse and locally available food while also supporting farmers and local livelihoods. This should be accompanied by social audits, independent testing of food quality, transparency in government contracts and an effective grievance redressal system. Ensuring children’s right to food and nutrition is the responsibility of the government. Public systems should therefore be strengthened and local participation encouraged rather than moving towards privatisation.
Changing climate conditions and frequent natural disasters are also affecting household food security. Droughts, floods, extreme heat and loss of livelihoods ultimately affect the food available within households. Food and nutrition support for children and pregnant women should therefore be an essential part of relief programmes during disasters. Better coordination is also needed between local agriculture and nutrition programmes. At the same time, meaningful improvement in nutrition services at the grassroots level will be difficult without adequate honorarium, social security, necessary resources and better working conditions for Anganwadi workers, ASHAs and workers associated with school meal programmes.
The growing digitalisation of food and nutrition programmes also needs to be viewed in this context so that technology does not become a barrier to children’s access to food and nutrition. A child’s access to these services should not be affected because of digital requirements. The protection and privacy of children’s personal data is another important concern. At the same time, digital reporting requirements for Anganwadi workers and teachers should not increase to a level where they reduce the time available for direct work with children. Technology should remain a tool for facilitation and monitoring, not a condition for accessing a right.
These concerns were also raised prominently in the declaration issued after three days of discussions at the recently held Third National Convention on Children’s Right to Food and Nutrition in Bhopal. The convention was attended by noted economist Jean Drèze, several senior social activists who have worked for many years on the right to food, and representatives from different states. The discussions also emphasised that efforts to prevent malnutrition should not begin only after a child is identified as malnourished.
There is a need to maintain continuity in food and nutrition support—from the mother’s nutrition to a child’s early diet, Anganwadi services, health care and school meals. Addressing a serious problem such as malnutrition requires health, nutrition, maternity protection, local food systems and social security to work together. At the same time, it must be ensured that Aadhaar, identity requirements or any technical process does not come between a child and their right to food and nutrition. (IPA Service)
