Budget expectations: Child rights activists seek increased funding

Ahead of the Union Budget, child rights activists and organisations have urged the government to put children at the centre of the development discourse and increase funding for their education, healthcare, and protection services.

Child rights activists expressed hope that the government will heed their calls for a child-centric approach, ensuring the nation's youngest citizens receive the resources and protection they need to thrive.

The Union Budget will be tabled on Tuesday.

Puja Marwaha, CEO of CRY - Child Rights and You, stressed the significance of putting children at the centre of the development discourse.

"Children constitute more than one-third of the overall Indian population, and investing in them can foster social equity and break the cycle of poverty," she said.

Marwaha called for increased allocations for health and nutrition programs, such as the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, especially for children belonging to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

In the realm of education, Marwaha pointed out to the setbacks caused by the Covid pandemic, which led to increased school dropouts and significant educational loss.

She urged the government to increase public expenditure on education, in line with the commitments of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"We have seen a positive move with the increase in allocation for school education by Rs 5,356 crore from 2022-23 to 2023-24, but more resources are needed for initiatives like the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)," she added.

Furthermore, Marwaha pointed to the importance of initiatives like the Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti.

"The Union Government's Mission Vatsalya requires matching investment to ensure the well-being of children and reduce vulnerabilities to abuse, neglect, and exploitation," she said.

She also advocated for increased investment under Mission Shakti, focusing on components like "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao".

Sudarshan Suchi, CEO of Bal Raksha Bharat, emphasised the need for a substantial increase in funding for education, healthcare, and child protection services.

"A focused and comprehensive investment in these areas is crucial to ensuring every child in India has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the nation's future," he stated.

Suchi also highlighted the importance of vocational training programs to build a skilled workforce that meets modern industry demands.

Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Child Marriage Free India, called for an increase in budgetary allocation to end child marriage and prevent child sexual abuse.

"To translate the dream of child protection into reality, the government needs to allocate a supplementary amount of Rs 19,979 crore annually, an increase of merely 0.4 percent compared to the 2023-24 Union Budget," Ribhu emphasised.

He also highlighted the need to augment the capacity of police, increase the number of courts, and fast-track the delivery of justice in crimes against women and children.