‘Young kids get lowest priority in nutrition’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 4

Underscoring the fact that young children in the 0-6 year age bracket have received the lowest priority on the national agenda in terms of nutrition, care and education, panelists at a roundtable discussion on the legal framework for Early Childhood Development said inadequate nutrition in the early years has an adverse and irreversible impact on an individual's cognitive and behavioural development. 

Highlighting the salient recommendations of the Law Commission Report 259, Justice (retd) A P Shah said young children up to six are ignored as stakeholders in any discussion, thus making them almost invisible members of society. Quoting statistics, Justice Shah said that in 2010, almost half the children in this age group were stunted, malnourished and stunted.

“We hope that the suggestions and recommendations of the Law Commission Report will go a long way in securing the constitutional objective of ensuring a healthy childhood and result in creating a rich national resource,” he said.

A discussion “Rights of the Youngest - Towards a Legal Framework for Early Childhood Development” was anchored by S Varadrajan, Editor, The Wire on May 2.