UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2025: India Deprivation
Why in the news
UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2025 shows that child deprivation persists in India even as global child welfare improves.
Key facts
- Globally: 417 million children (1 in 5) lack two critical needs; 118 million lack three or more; 17 million lack four or more.
- Most common gap: sanitation, affecting 65% of children in low-income countries.
- Children with at least one severe deprivation fell from 51% (2013) to 41% (2023), but unevenly.
- Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have the highest concentration of multidimensional child poverty.
- Aid cuts, climate change and conflict could mean 4.5 million more under-five deaths by 2030 and 6 million children out of school by next year.
Budget picture, Union Budget 2025-26
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Women and Child Development | ₹26,890 crore |
| Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 | ₹21,960 crore |
| Mission Vatsalya | ₹1,500 crore |
| Ministry’s share of central spending | 0.96% (2015-16) to 0.5% (2025-26) |
Concerns
- Delayed anganwadi infrastructure upgrades and too few trained frontline workers.
- Digital exclusion blocks online learning.
- Urban slums face malnutrition, unsafe housing, pollution and disrupted schooling.
- Climate change hits the poorest hardest.
Kerala as a model
- Uses panchayati raj institutions and community-based organisations at anganwadi level, involving local communities and ward members.
Recommendations
- A National Mission on Child Poverty.
- Universal digital access; stronger social protection and public services.
- A bigger frontline workforce, on-time funds, working anganwadis and on-spot inspections.
- Technology for real-time monitoring; coordination across ministries and states.
Exam angle
- Report by: UNICEF.
- Anganwadi scheme allocation: ₹21,960 crore.
- State cited as model: Kerala.