Subject: Social Justice

Poverty and malnutrition form an intergenerational trap that perpetuates socio-economic disadvantages and impairs human capital formation. According to NFHS-5 (2019-2021), 35.5% of Indian children under five are stunted, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive interventions.

Poverty and Malnutrition Vicious Cycle

Breaking the Poverty-Malnutrition Nexus

Addressing Nutritional Security

• Implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan 2.0 focusing on first 1000 days of child development through targeted interventions and community mobilization.
• Strengthening Mid-Day Meal Scheme and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to ensure adequate nutrition for school-going children.
• Promoting dietary diversity through Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and kitchen gardens in rural areas.

Poverty Alleviation Measures

• Expanding coverage of MGNREGA to ensure minimum income security for rural households.
• Implementation of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) for sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• According to NITI Aayog's 2023 report, rural poverty fell from 32.59% to 19.28%, showing positive impact of targeted interventions.

Health and Education Interventions

• Strengthening Ayushman Bharat to reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure.
• Focus on Skill India Mission to enhance employability and income-generating capabilities.
• Implementation of National Education Policy 2020 emphasizing foundational learning and skill development.

Women Empowerment and Social Protection

• Promoting Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM for financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
• Ensuring effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for maternal nutrition.
• Strengthening Public Distribution System (PDS) through technology integration and better targeting.

Technology and Innovation

• Leveraging JAM Trinity for efficient delivery of social welfare benefits.
• Using artificial intelligence and big data for early identification of vulnerable populations.
• Implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to minimize leakages in welfare schemes.

Improve WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)

• Malnutrition is aggravated by poor sanitation and unsafe water. Promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan objectives for clean living environments to prevent disease.

The multidimensional approach to breaking the poverty-malnutrition cycle requires synergistic implementation of various schemes. With 24.82 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, India needs to sustain this momentum through continued focus on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, women empowerment, and sustainable livelihood generation.