-Down to Earth Schemes that provide integrated benefits to women and children did not get additional funds this year Food and nutrition were highlighted in this year’s budget presented in the parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. However, children might not get the benefit of good food.  Schemes for children such as Poshan 2.0, which provide integrated benefits to women and children, did not get any additional funds this year. In 2022-23, an estimated budget...

-The Free Press Journal Today’s budget speech of the Finance Minister was more about Government’s intentions, intentions for a long term horizon like 25 years and little on this years’ specific plans. There is an oft-spoken phrase – where there is a will there's a way. If the policies of a Government is its Will then the Budget is meant to give the Way by providing the means with funds. Today’s budget...

--Press release by the National Coalition on the Education Emergency (NCEE) dated January 29, 2022 An education emergency of unprecedented proportions has severely impacted hundreds of millions of children in India. Prolonged school closures have caused learning deprivation, student dropout, increased child labour, malnutrition, and early marriages that are compromising the future of our country. It is time to open schools and massively increase funding of public education with a clear focus...

In the previous news alert, we looked at the under-nutrition problem in the Bundelkhand region in terms of 3 indicators -- proportion of children under 5 years who are stunted (height-for-age); proportion of children under 5 years who are wasted (weight-for-height); and proportion of children under 5 years who are underweight (weight-for-age). However, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data also indicates that severe under-nutrition like severe wasting and anaemia among...

-Hindustan Times The study has been authored by Ashish Jhalani, co-author of the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in India’ report released by the PM's Economic Advisory Council. Let us first recognise that there is a fundamental challenge in early education years, that has been severely underestimated in the education planning strategy of India. Perhaps that is why the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council released a report titled The State of...