World Vision India launches Child Well-Being Index for India

The Index mines the recent data and adopts a multi-dimensional approach towards measuring child well-being, claims the NGO.

World Vision India and IFMR LEAD, released today the India Child Well-Being Report at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The report is an attempt to look at how India fairs on child well-being using a composite child well-being index.

"The India Child Well Being Index is a crucial report that can be mined both by the Government and civil organisations to achieve the goal of child well-being and we will use this report effectively. This report provides insights on health, nutrition education, sanitation and child protection. Our government is fully committed to securing the rights and well-being of children and for this, we are making investments in this regard," said Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO- Niti Ayog. The Child Well-Being Index is a tool designed to measure and track children's well-being comprehensively. The three dimensions of the index are i) Healthy Individual Development, ii) Positive Relationships and iii) Protective Contexts. Focusing on the three key dimensions, 24 indicators were selected to develop the computation of the child well-being index.

Speaking at the report release, Cherian Thomas, National Director and CEO, World Vision India said, "The vision of World Vision globally is to ensure the fullness of life for every child. The report highlights the multi-dimensional approach towards measuring child well-being – going beyond mere income poverty. Children have the potential to transform the country, but if neglected, they will exacerbate the burden of poverty and inequality. It is imperative that all stakeholders prioritise and invest in the well-being of our children." The index captures the performance of each State and Union Territory on a composite child well-being score, with Kerala (0.76), Tamil Nadu (0.67) and Himachal Pradesh (0.67) leading the charts among the states and Meghalaya (0.53), Jharkhand (0.50) and Madhya Pradesh (0.44) featuring at the bottom, among states. Among the Union Territories, Puducherry leads the way with a score of 0.77 and Dadra & Nagar Haveli features at the other end with a score of 0.52.

Child well-being scores, as per the methodology and criteria of World Vision India, for the States and Union Territories for the three different dimensions, are listed below:

Healthy Individual Development
States in the first quartile	Scores	States in the last quartile	Scores
Kerala	0.78	Assam	0.36
Goa	0.75	Bihar	0.36
Sikkim	0.70	Meghalaya	0.31
Punjab	0.67	Madhya Pradesh	0.27
Tamil Nadu	0.66	Jharkhand	0.26
Union Territories	Scores	Union Territories	Scores
Lakshadweep	0.89	Dadra and Nagar Haveli	0.38

Positive Relations
States in the first quartile	Scores	States in the last quartile	Scores
Nagaland	0.84	Maharashtra	0.58
Arunachal Pradesh	0.80	Madhya Pradesh	0.57
Meghalaya	0.77	Telangana	0.55
Assam	0.76	Haryana	0.53
Chhattisgarh	0.76	Jammu & Kashmir	0.53
Manipur	0.76	Sikkim	0.51
Union Territories	Scores	Union Territories	Scores
Puducherry	0.83	Lakshadweep	0.31

Contexts that provide safety
States in the first quartile	Scores	States in the last quartile	Scores
Sikkim	0.78	Maharashtra	0.56
Kerala	0.75	Madhya Pradesh	0.55
Himachal Pradesh	0.74	Telangana	0.55
Bihar	0.73	Goa	0.51
Uttarakhand	0.72	Andhra Pradesh	0.42
Union Territories	Scores	Union Territories	Scores
Lakshadweep	0.94	Daman and Diu	0.55

Speaking about this collaboration, Sharon Buteau, Executive Director, IFMR LEAD said, "The research has brought to the fore compelling insights on child well-being in India. One of the primary objectives of this index is to garner attention to the under-researched theme of child well-being in India and inspire further academic and policy conversations on related issues. Some of the key indicators that need to be studied in the future include mobile usage, digital access, financial literacy, mental health and quality of relationships per se, between parents/peers and children." The report recommends policy level changes in the states and UTs for improvement.

(With inputs from World Vision India)