Newswatch - 10 lakhs girls missing, Cash to stop abortions

Indian families offered cash to stop abortion of girl foetuses
The scheme announced by the Indian authorities will carry a number of requirements if families are to receive the money. The lump sum will be paid once the daughter reaches the age of 18 and can prove that she has been to school. Her nutrition and health will also be checked and for the family to receive the money, the young woman must not be married

70% children in India anaemic
Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that 69.5 percent of children in the age group of six to 59 months are suffering from anaemia of which 63 percent are in the urban areas and 71.5 percent in the rural areas.

'10 lakh girls missing from Indian population'
"Female foeticide is an extreme manifestation of violence against women. Female fetuses are selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination, thus avoiding the birth of girls. As a result of selective abortion, about 10 lakh girls are missing from the Indian Population,"

News Watch - PC's budget and children

Money for the children
The saddest thing in this state of affairs is that India has had a programme working in the villages and towns for the last three decades to address this window of opportunity as a solution for the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition of mothers and the resultant death of children under five—the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

Budget Wishlist |Child Protection to get priority within Child Budget: Unicef
It is expected that while Union Budget 2008 will see a quantum jump in social sector spending and specifically education, child protection will continue to remain largely unacknowledged. This component of child budgeting that covers the wide spectrum of trafficking, child labour, street children, orphan and vulnerable children, institutional care and adoption and care of homelessness is not likely to be adequately addressed.

Women and child schemes get the priority
He also allocated Rs 16,202 crore for 100% women specific schemes and Rs 16,202 crore for 30% women specific scheme. Further, the FM allocated Rs 7,200 crore in 2008-09 to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, representing an increase of 24% over the allocation in 2007-08.

Budget Shows Children not 'Politically Important'
World Vision India, however is concerned about the marked neglect of children and issues related to them in this budget, such as education, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and health.