Mallnutrion: Who is at Fault???

In our society, there is a large economic gap. Rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer so there is an uneven distribution in wealth. This is our fundamental problem because the rich is getting richer through means of corruption by looting the public money that is supposed to be used for programs like ICDS and MDM. Even the contractors working on these programs are cheating the government by providing sub-standard services. If all the black un-accounted money from the rich is seized by the government, we can beat Bangladesh statistics very easily.

It is very sad that corruption in our society exists everywhere, at all levels. Take for example, the political arena. Candidates bring in black money to a party to get a seat. They spend some more for campaigning. When they get elected, they will get back their investment and huge sums of profits through corruption. Government job candidates shell out huge sums under the table to get jobs that are known to fetch bribes. Again, they recollect all their investment with huge profits on top of it. All these transactions are done in black money. The government money or our public money is being converted into this black money everywhere by the people in power. If this money were to stay white in the government, public funds can be better utilized.

People in power need to care for the deprived. Greed is a natural human character but there should be means in the government to stop individuals' gains that are out of limit. Take for example, Raju of Satyam. He went out of limits in obtaining wealth because of his greed. The most important wealth in life is 'peace' that cannot be obtained by any other form of wealth. In the Bhagavadgeetha 12th chapter, '...thyaagaathchantiranantharam' tells us that peace is attained only after sacrificing the wealth you obtain as a result of your karma. People who realize this and adhere to this are the only great people. Bill Gates of Microsoft made all his fortune. Now, he has realized what he needs to be doing so he gives away all his income for the underprivileged.



If rich people share the wealth that actually belongs to the public (others), the government can improve the programs for the poor. If it is not done voluntarily by the rich, government should seize by force. People may not trust to give the wealth to the government because it will be transferred to black money again through corruption. We need to plant the seeds of honesty, patriotism, and other moral values in our children. We need to stop corruption and bring the financial difference between the rich and poor.

Malnutrition: Why a rethink is needed

There is a need to re-think the government's strategy for tackling malnutrition. At present over 46 per cent of Indian children are stunted or wasted. Although the India government spends more on child nutrition programmes than any other country in the world, in the last five years malnutrition rates in India declined by only one percent. [In neighbouring Bangladesh, malnutrition rates fell by six per cent during the same period.] Such a deep rooted problem requires a multi pronged strategy and not a one dimensional approach.



We need to improve our Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Midday Meal (MDM) programmes so that it reaches all parts of the country. No child should go hungry.

We must ensure that the food supplied to children has the necessary micronutrients for proper physical and mental growth. Approximately 75 per cent of Indian children suffer from iron deficiency (anemia), 50 per cent get less than half their daily requirement of vitamin A, apart from very high rates of zinc and folic acid deficiency.

In this context we need to focus on food fortification which is a cost effective strategy to eradicate deficiency diseases and protect the health of both the mother and child. We should ensure that all meals served in the ICDS and the MDM schemes in the states are fortified. Existing laws mandating that salt should be fortified with iodine must be implemented. Fortifying food staples like oil and wheat with vitamin A and iron respectively on the Gujarat model is another strategy which should be considered. Dairies which remove vitamin A and D during processing should be asked to replenish the vitamins in the milk.