Media Watch - India’s children at bottom of hunger heap

Independent Appeal: Children in slavery
Until the law was passed recently, it was legal to employ children of any age as domestic servants in India. Now anyone employing a servant younger than 14 faces up to a year in prison.

Kids often hungry as India grows richer
while new money and new foods transform the eating habits of some of India's youngest citizens, gnawing destitution continues to plague millions of others. Taken together, it is a picture of plenty and want, each producing its own set of afflictions.

Imminent work ban a ray of hope for child labourers
The Orissa government has set up a ministerial committee headed by Chief Minister Navin Patnaik to study child labour problems and look into rehabilitation aspects. The panel was formed in the wake of the central government ban on employment of workers below 14 years in 'dhabas' (roadside eateries), restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, spas or other recreational centres or as domestic helps.

Expo for `little arts'
The exhibition was part of the prize distribution function of the 41st All-India Child Art Competitions-2006 organised by city-based Child Art Club at Ravindra Bharathi.

Children done the role of social reformers
They may be young but they are well informed and articulate. On being asked what is the biggest concern facing the children today, they say without hesitation - child labour.

India’s children at bottom of hunger heap
Indian children are worse than the United Nation’s sub-Saharan poster boy with rickety arms, swollen belly and protruding eyes symbolising malnutrition and hunger.

Indian NGO frees 50 bonded child labourers
The children, all boys aged between eight and 14, children of poor farm labourers in the eastern Indian state of Bihar had been brought to New Delhi to work in small factories making elaborately embroidered fabric called ‘zari’.

Dalits discriminated against in ICDS
Caste discrimination continues to hamper the objectives of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). This has been pointed out by a report — “Focus on children under six”, brought out by Right to Food Campaign, highlighting the pitiable condition of children below six years and the need for balanced nutrition, health and pre-school education for them.

Malnutrition kills two kids in Madhya Pradesh
Rs.3 billion was earmarked for providing nutritious diet to undernourished women and children - Rs.1.9 billion more than the previous year. But according to the government's Child Growth Monitoring Drive, 80,000 children in the state continued to suffer from severe malnutrition.

YEAR-END REVIEW - TOWARDS MORE ACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE AND QUALITY EDUCATION
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the flagship programme to achieve the goal of Universalization of Elementary Education for all children between 6 to 14 years, has a budget provision of Rs. 11000 crores in 2006-07. The goal of SSA is Universal Retention by 2010.