Child Rights Activists Call for Child-Centric Union Budget

Ahead of the Union Budget, child rights activists urge the government to prioritize children's education, healthcare, and protection. They emphasize the need for increased funding for programs like Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan 2.0, and Mission Shakti. Activists stress that investing in children can foster social equity and break poverty cycles in India.

On the eve of the Union Budget announcement, child rights activists and organizations have called on the government to place children at the heart of the development agenda. They are urging for significant increases in funding for education, healthcare, and protection services.

Child rights advocates express optimism that the government will embrace a child-centric approach, ensuring essential resources and protection for the nation's young population. The Union Budget is set to be tabled on Tuesday.

Puja Marwaha, CEO of CRY - Child Rights and You, highlighted that investing in children, who represent more than one-third of India's population, can promote social equity and disrupt the cycle of poverty. She emphasized the need for boosted allocations for health and nutrition programs targeting vulnerable children.

Marwaha pointed to the educational setbacks from the Covid pandemic and urged the government to ramp up public expenditure in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 commitments. She noted the recent increase in school education funding but insisted more resources are necessary for initiatives like the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Missions Vatsalya and Shakti.

Sudarshan Suchi, CEO of Bal Raksha Bharat, and Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of Child Marriage Free India, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the critical need for expanded funding to ensure every child in India thrives and is protected from abuse and exploitation.