During this time of lockdown and amidst the pandemic,
almost all people are undergoing a change in each and every aspect of their
life. Some have lost businesses, while others have lost their jobs. Some have
not been going to their institutions for learning, while others are unable to
teach. The digital platform has come handy in such situations, but such things
are matters of privilege. Not every person has access to such facilities, and
even if there is access, not all are accustomed to communicate and conduct
exchange in such circumstances. Thus, the virus has not spared any person and
has affected each and every person irrespective of age.
Out of all the people, the condition of the pandemic
has affected children and elders the most. At an age when kids are expected to
play outside, go to school, socialize, and learn about society, they are forced
to stay indoors to keep themselves safe. Earlier, parents would beg their kids
to go out and play, because of their addiction to video games and TV. But now
it’s the other way round. With the old
people as well, it is something similar. They have never experienced such a
situation and now suddenly, adjusting to the new reality becomes difficult.
These are problems faced by a more privileged
section of society. While understanding the lives of such people, it
becomes important to keep in mind that not just the jobs and income is
affected, such a scenario also affects the children, their health, their
overall development, and their lives. And at the ground level, the reality is
very much difficult.
IndiaSpend conducted a study wherein they found out
that the lockdown and the pandemic is showcasing a different picture when it
comes to understanding the lives of the lower sections of the society and those
whose day to day lives depend on the wages that they get from their work. As
per their survey and their reports, they found out that approximately 1.8 Crore
children were not getting the benefits of the mid-day meal scheme (particularly
in Uttar Pradesh) due to the lockdown imposed in India. Thus, we can understand
the scenario throughout the country and its implications on the lives of the
children.
The Mid-Day meal scheme was introduced along with
several other schemes in order to help in the overall development of the child
in India. Since independence, poverty was a major factor and several efforts
were undertaken by the government to eradicate poverty. Also, as per Article 21
of the Indian Constitution that talks about the right to life and personal
liberty also spoke about the importance of good health and education for the
children, as it becomes an essential aspect of the life of a child, which is
also a human right. Thus, several programs like The Right of Children to have
Free and Fair Education, The Anganwadi scheme, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, etc were
some of the ways through which the goal of attaining a dignified and good life
could be achieved.
One of the main reasons why the Mid-Day Meal system
was introduced was because there were many children who were dropping out of
school due to poverty and no access to food. There was a system earlier wherein
the student had to bring their own food. But many children did not have enough
food to bring home. Their parents couldn’t earn enough to feed them and most
importantly, mothers were worried that, if they went to work, then where would
they leave their children. If they left their children in the school, then they
wouldn’t get food to eat.
Thus, in order to increase the literacy rate, and to
also to let the parents work at ease, the Mid-Day Meal scheme was introduced,
wherein, the children would get nutritious food in schools, which would help
build their concentration in classes, increase the literacy rate, reduce
malnutrition and also benefit the poor parents.
As per the reports by IndiaSpend, earlier, under the
scheme, families were given a certain amount of food grains (wheat, rice, etc)
for the child. But it was later found out that the grains never benefitted the
children completely, as it was shared among all the family members. Thus, the
system of cooking food in the school and serving it to the children began,
which proved to be more beneficial and successful. But, since the schools have
shut due to the lockdown, the scheme isn’t reaching the children.
In several states, in spite of the lockdown, the
scheme is still working in a different way. As per the report, in Andhra
Pradesh, the government is giving food grains to the families and in Kerala,
cooked food is being reached to such households.
But such a scenario is limited to certain states
only. In other states, several children are not getting the benefits of the
scheme due to the lockdown. Thus, this is a great way to affect their health.
Malnutrition could be a huge issue that could affect the children whose health
in a great way has been dependent on the Mid-Day Meal. Hunger during the time of this
pandemic, and the health issues that follow could also be a major challenge
for the country amidst this crisis. This would also worry the parents, because
in many cases the parents were happy about the fact that at least the child
gets some food in the school. But now, due to the loss of jobs and no income, the
parents would also get worried.
Of course, the government has tried to cover several
of these issues in the stimulus package and under other economic reforms, but
yet, a sudden stoppage of a scheme makes a huge difference. Poverty,
unemployment, malnutrition, etc, will by issues which would erupt in the
limelight and would be a challenge that the country will have to overcome along
with the other challenges.
The Pandemic has definitely challenged the
Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. The crisis
has halted and hindered the process leading towards these goals. Thus, it is a
sad state that every effort taken by any country in the past several years to
accomplish these goals has been futile, and there is a possibility of setting
new goals after this pandemic.
Writer- Vijayasree
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