India is home to over 444 million children, which is one of the world's largest child and adolescent populations. The constitution of India guarantees fundamental rights to all children implemented by the states through directive principles of state policy. It guides the states to keep children safe, protect them from abuse, and afford them opportunities that foster physical, social, and mental wellbeing. In order to galvanize developments into action, the country’s convergent priorities have been focused not only on education but also on early childhood development and protection of children, primarily through the prevention of early childhood marriage. Investment in early childhood development has proven to be indispensable to ensuring a better future for children. This investment mainly pertains to access to medical care such as vaccines for the mother and infants and proper nutrition to counteract stunting and malnutrition in a child's formative years. In addition, access to clean water and safe sanitation practices also result in decreased illnesses in early childhood; specifically, water-borne diseases.
Despite the child protection act, Indians are witness to child rights violations that include the denial and inability to secure the right to education, the right to food and health, and rights against exploitation. Even with several legal frameworks in place to address these issues, India’s performance in comparison to its counterparts in child development and child protection remains inadequate as the vast majority of children continue to be deprived of their fundamental rights.
Education for children
The Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009 was a revolutionary legal establishment in India that guaranteed access to free education for children aged six to 14 years. Studies indicate that providing quality education that is inclusive and equitable is the foundation of sustainable development for a country. For a developing country, primary education is an important system that can help improve many lives in the present and the future. In the past few decades, the government of India has made significant strides within this context with initiatives such as Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan or universal elementary education and mid-day meal schemes, which resulted in an exponential increase in the number of primary school enrolments. However, several challenges remain despite this progress. According to the National Sample Survey 2017- 2018, over 30 million children are out-of-school, and over 30 percent of such children have never attended an educational institution. Although elementary education is compulsory, less than 50 percent of children have access to it.Violence and crime
Violence against children remains ubiquitous across the country. Apart from issues such as forced early marriage, child labor, domestic abuse, sexual violence, and human trafficking, online violence also runs rampant. India has witnessed a surge in internet penetration as of 2020 due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online activity by children has reached an all-time high and is expected to further increase in intensity. Internet access has served by imparting knowledge but has also exposed harmful and inappropriate content to children who are impressionable and vulnerable. Moreover, data indicate, cybercrime in its different forms, such as cyber-sexual harassment and cyberbullying, are at a record high due to the use of social media by children and adolescents. Studies reflect that all forms of violence are detrimental to a child’s development and are also known to have lifelong consequences for the child.Despite the child protection act, Indians are witness to child rights violations that include the denial and inability to secure the right to education, the right to food and health, and rights against exploitation. Even with several legal frameworks in place to address these issues, India’s performance in comparison to its counterparts in child development and child protection remains inadequate as the vast majority of children continue to be deprived of their fundamental rights.
