UPSC Mains 2016 GS Paper 2 Q15: model answer

The National Policy for Children, 2013 replaced the 1974 policy and, for the first time, defined a child as anyone below 18. It treats children as holders of rights, not objects of charity.

Main provisions

• Survival, health and nutrition: reduce infant and child mortality, malnutrition and anaemia.
• Education and development: universal, free and compulsory education, early childhood care.
• Protection: from abuse, trafficking, child labour and child marriage.
• Participation: children's voices in decisions that affect them.
• A National Plan of Action for Children (2016) set targets for each area.

Status of implementation

• Survival: infant mortality has fallen sharply, but NFHS-5 (2019–21) found 35.5% of under-five children stunted and 67% anaemic.
• Education: near-universal enrolment under the RTE Act; learning levels remain low.
• Protection: laws such as POCSO (2012), the Juvenile Justice Act (2015) and the Child Labour Amendment (2016); NCRB data still record over a lakh and a half crimes against children a year.
• Child marriage: 23% of women aged 20–24 were married before 18 (NFHS-5), down from 27%.
• Participation: weakest area; child panchayats exist in a few states only.

Gaps

Low spending on children, poor coordination across ministries, weak child protection units in districts, and limited data on children with disabilities.

Way forward

A child budget statement in every State, stronger district child protection units, convergence through Mission Vatsalya, and child participation in gram sabhas.

The policy is sound; implementation is uneven, especially for nutrition and protection.