Children and Governance Since Independence

Children form the first priority of the Nationaldown infant and child mortality rate by 2002 A.D.
Agenda not because they are the mostThe national policy on education of 1986
vulnerable but because the foundations foremphasized universal enrolment and retention in
life-long learning and human development are laid inschools, especially the girl children. Non formal
the most crucial years of early childhood. This iseducation, preschool centers were encouraged
the time when even a small positive change yieldsparticularly with the cooperation of voluntary
long-term social benefits whereas a temporaryorganizations.
deprivation inflicts lifelong damage. Thus, theDuring the seventh plan ( 1958-90), the
opportunities of early childhood developmentGovernment continued its major strategy of
determines the present and the future of apromoting early childhood survival and
nation. Realizing the vulnerability of the tender agedevelopment through ICDS, Ministry of Health and
of children, the Constitution of India laid downfamily welfare. The Juvenile Justice Act was
certain specific safeguards to ensure their survival,enacted in 1986 to deal with the problem of
protection and development. The most crucialneglected or juvenile delinquents. The Child Labor
among them are Articles 14, 15 (3), 21, 23, 24,Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986, and the
39, 42, 45 and 47. In the Directive Principles ofNational Policy on Child Labor 1987, were
State Policy it is made imperative for the state toformulated leading to various projects of
strive to convert the principles into fundamentalvoluntary organizations for the welfare of working
rights whereby the rights of the child can bechildren.
legally protected. The 83rd ConstitutionalThe Eighth Five Year plan (1992-97) focused on
Amendment seeking to make elementaryhuman resources development. Child survival,
education a fundamental right is a step in thisprotection and development were accorded high
direction.priority. The Government of India ratified the
While ordering to strike down Corporal PunishmentConvention on the Rights of the Child" in 1992 and
for children under Rule 37 of Delhi schoolformulated two National Plans of Action for
Education Act, 1973, the High Court upheld thechildren and girl children. Both the plans have
child's right to life and defined the rights of theadopted an inter-sectored approach in close
child in its widest sense of the termuniformity with the major goals of 'Health for All',
"encompassing all that which gives, meaning to life'Education for All', etc.
and made it wholesome and worth living still moreThe Ninth Five Year plan (1997-2002), reaffirmed
than mere survival of animal existence".its priority for the development of early childhood
In the initial years, the responsibility of child careas an investment in the country's human resource
services had primarily rested with Central Socialdevelopment through various strategies. The
Welfare Board, set up in 1953. During the secondTenth five Year Plan ( 2002-2007)views
to fourth five year plans ( 1953-1978 ), thedevelopment of children not only as the most
services were linked to various sectors like health,desirable societal involvement for country's future,
family, welfare, nutrition, education, rural and urbanbut as the right of every child to achieve full
development and led to improved material anddevelopment potential. Thus the major challenge in
child health services, supplementary feeding ofthe Tenth Plan will not only be reaching every
both the child and the mother.young child in the country, but also to ensure their
The fifth plan ( 1974-78 ) proved to be thesurvival, protection and development. In this
landmark with the adoption of National Policy forcontext, the plan also identifies the urgent need to
children ( 1974 ) and launching of the Integratedreview and synthesize all the existing policies and
Child Development Services (ICDS) with a shiftprograms. In the end, it all melts down to one
from welfare to development of the child. ICDSproblem the problem of human relationship in the
was launched in 33 experimental blocks in 1975context of a patriarchal society. The interventions
aiming to provide health checkup, immunization,of the Government in this area of human relations
referral services, supplementary feeding,can at best be catalytic in achieving the desired
non-formal pre-school education and health andgoals of a positive environment for children -
nutrition along with education for children below 6particularly the girl who has been the worst
years and expectant and nursing mothers insufferer all the way.
'Anganwadi Centre'.By ensuring the all-round development of a child,
The sixth plan ( 1980-85) adopted the Nationalthe future of the nation can be made bright.
Policy of Health in 1983 which targeted to bring