​​​​​​1.Lowered outlay for rural guarantee scheme has led to used up allocation and wage delays

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Context: No money left in MGNREGA coffers – as many as 21 of 35 States/UTs have utilised over 100% of their allocated funds under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for FY2021-22.

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• This is despite increased allocation: In the previous year, the allocations for MGNREGS were increased by ₹50,000 crore to meet the demand for work, with the Revised Estimates for spending for the scheme going up to ₹1,11,500 crore.

Not a surprise:

• Demand of work is very high: MGNREGS is a life-saver for the poor, especially migrant labourers, following the sudden lockdown announced by the Union government.
• Lower allocation in ratio of GDP: In this year’s Budget, the Finance Minister allocated ₹73,000 crore for the scheme, which was higher than the previous year’s absolute number in Budget allocations, but this amounted only to 2.1% of the Budget expenditure, the lowest outlay in those terms in the last six years.
• The indication was there: By October-end, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh had utilised more than 130% of their respective allocations for the scheme, indicating the extent to which rural workers depend on the scheme even in relatively better-off States.
• Clearly, the Union government has underestimated the demand for work under the scheme, which even if it involves arduous and menial labour has accounted for a large chunk of rural employment at a time when the economy suffered a steep contraction due to the effects of the pandemic.

Government response to the report: Officials in the Rural Development Ministry accused States of “artificially” creating demand, but this has not been borne out from ground reports which continue to indicate rising demand for work and wages in rural India;

Impact of Cash crunch on ground:

• Right to work denied: Civil society activists claim that some workers have been turned away by officials despite the demand for work because of the paucity of funds.
• Social Tension: In Rajasthan’s Ajmer, denial of payment has led to social tension as few communities receive payment earlier than others.
• Decline in Rural consumption: Delays in wage payments could also result in a decline in rural consumption, which plays a vital role in stimulating the economy.

Importance of MGNREGS:

• Acts as an effective substitute in the absence of crop and weather insurance in aiding poor farm households.
• Helping to provide wages during agrarian crises,
• It is an avenue for employment during the economic crisis induced by the pandemic and the response,
• MGNREGS has turned out to be a salve for farm workers and labourers.
• Rural development: It also has the potential, if works are upgraded suitably, to continue to improve rural development and infrastructure.

Way Forward: The Union Government must ensure that the allocation is adequate for wage payments to be done and for demand to be met in the remaining months of this financial year.

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2. COVID-19 or otherwise, educational institutions need to ensure that schoolchildren are nurtured and nourished

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Context: With COVID-19 cases reducing in the country, several establishments, including schools, are opening again despite the fact that children are not yet in the ambit of the vaccination drive are causing apprehension.

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions.

1. ‘undernutrition’—which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals).
2. Overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer).

Triple Nutritional Challenges: Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, India was facing significant nutritional challenges.

• Under-nutrition
• Overweight/obesity
• Deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium and several vitamins. Often overlooked, micronutrients are essential for production of enzymes, hormones and other substances for good immune function, healthy growth and development.

Importance of Addressing malnutrition during childhood:

• Development of food habits: During these phases of life that we see rapid growth of the body and development of food habits.
• Childhood and adolescence are two conjoined periods of continuous growth and development — a seamless duration.
• For instance, between two and 10 years of age, children tend to grow at an average of 6-7 cm in height and 1.5 to 3 kg in weight every year. But specifically, when the growth spurt happens at about 10-12 years in girls and two years later in boys during adolescence, their nutritional needs are vastly increased.
• In the case of girls, their nutritional status impacts not only their health but that of generations to come.
• Immunity: Malnutrition in any form can put children and adolescents at risk of compromised immune function, thus making them vulnerable to infections.

Social factors that affect diet quality:

• Constrained socialization/Lack of Physical activity: In urban as well as among middle class and affluent communities, restricted movement, constrained socialisation and even dwindling physical contact have become the new normal.
• Isolation and fatigue: COVID-19 isolation and fatigue have led to generalised stress, adding to the immunity challenge for children.
• Lack of diet diversity leading to imbalanced micronutrient intake or consumption of high carbohydrate and high sugar foods, endanger the child’s health by compromising their immunity and making them vulnerable to infections.

Important steps necessary to ensure nutrition:

• Need to pivot on children’s nutrition, using the novel coronavirus pandemic to better understand current nutrition and nutritional requirements for a healthy body and mind.
• To combat hidden hunger, affordable, accessible and diverse food sources must be made available across India.
• Need for a balanced diet: It is essential to look beyond minimum calorie requirements and ensure children consume a balanced diet with adequate diversity in order to ensure the required balance of all necessary nutrients.
  • Fruits vegetables, legumes etc: Micronutrients that are primarily available in fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, legumes and whole grains play a crucial role in enhancing the native and adaptive immune function and also aid ‘immune memory’ formation. A substantial serving of fresh fruits and vegetables, as much as about 300-500 gm per day per child is recommended depending on the age group.
  • Curd and nuts: These, along with curd and nuts, can increase beneficial probiotic bacteria in the intestine. About 300ml-400 ml of milk or curd can provide the required calcium, good quality protein and other nutrients.
  • Protein and essential fats: Thoroughly cooked meat/poultry and sea fish are very good for protein; sea fish also provide essential fats. Fats need not be seen as a villain — children and adolescents need about 25g-50g a day, which should ideally be derived from more than two varieties of oils.
• Discouraging junk food: Among urban and affluent groups, indulgence in frequent munching of high-calorie snacks and sweetened beverages that are devoid of beneficial nutrients should be discouraged.
• Physical exercises: Maintaining ideal body weight, regular physical activity, adequate water intake along with adequate sleep and low screen time can go a long way in building and regulating their immunity.

The Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana (PM POSHAN) — the mid-day meal programme in its new avatar

• Now includes students of pre-primary levels or Bal Vatikas of government and government-aided primary schools along with primary and upper primary schoolchildren who are already within the ambit of the mid-day meal programme.
• Energy & Protein levels increased:  through diet diversity –
  • For Primary: 450 Kcal energy and 12g of protein;
  • For upper primary(Classes 3-5): 700 Kcal and 20g protein.
  • Earlier it was 300 calories + 12 grams of protein to all children enrolled in classes one to five.
• Monitoring haemoglobin levels of schoolchildren,
• Appointment of nutritional experts to ensure the haemoglobin and growth status are continuously monitored;
• Focus on nutri-gardens are all welcome steps as we prepare to reopen schools.
• Special provisions for nutritional items for children in districts with high prevalence of anaemia and
• Involvement of farmer producer organisations(FPOs) and self–help group women (SHG-W) will strengthen linkages and convergence for promoting children’s nutrition.

Conclusion: COVID-19 or no COVID-19, good immunity will lay the foundation for long-term well-being. After all, good nutrition, safe food, and positive lifestyles are the cornerstones of great immune function. To ensure this, schools, when they reopen, should be avenues for teaching nutrition as a life skill than rhetorical pedagogy. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our children are nurtured and nourished.

SOURCE: https://epaper.thehindu.com/

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