Read the passage and answer the questions. Over the last sixty years, millions of rupees have undoubtedly been spent on child care in the country. Yet, India is the home of the most malnourished children in the world. The reasons for malnutrition among Indian children are not far to seek. It is a multilevel problem that involves adequate mother and child care in terms of easy access to health facilities, potable drinking water, environmental sanitation and of course, literacy. Neither the setting up of the National Nutrition Council in 1994 nor the Integrated Child Development Scheme launched in 1975, has made any visible difference in the sordid situation. The most urgent areas of attention and immediate action are nutrition, health, and education of children, whose well- being reflects the health of the society. Since the causes of malnutrition of children are many, like exploding population, bias against the female child, weak and suffering mothers, the remedy calls for ‘care of the mother’ and ‘care by the mother’, besides effective population control. Ignorance of what food should be taken is another contributory factor that results in malnutrition among women and children. On paper, we have plenty of policies and programmes, but as far as performance is concerned, we have earned much notoriety. The implementation of various schemes to fight the menace of malnutrition and undernourishment of children requires planning, coordination, and close monitoring by high-powered bodies right down to the village level. Unfortunately, the purpose of strengthening the capacities of the communities and of those who care has failed to deliver the goods because the schemes envisaged have had only marginal impact in the area where it is most wanting and woeful. The need of the hour is to translate the schemes into deeds and results, what we have tried to sell in the form of promises and populist pronouncements.
The passage focusses on the problem of
malnutrition
Understanding the Passage's Central Theme: Malnutrition in India
The question asks us to identify the main problem or focus of the given passage. To answer this effectively, we need to read the passage carefully and understand the core issue being discussed throughout.
Analyzing the Passage Content
The passage begins by stating that despite significant spending on child care in India, the country is home to the most malnourished children globally. It then delves into the reasons for this situation, describing malnutrition as a multilevel problem influenced by factors like access to health facilities, clean water, sanitation, and literacy. The passage mentions specific government initiatives like the National Nutrition Council and the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) but notes their lack of visible impact on the situation.
The text highlights the urgent need for attention to nutrition, health, and education for children, linking their well-being to societal health. It reiterates that the causes of malnutrition in children are numerous, including population growth, gender bias against female children, and mothers' health and lack of knowledge about proper food. The passage emphasizes the need for 'care of the mother' and 'care by the mother' as remedies, along with population control and educating people about nutrition. Finally, it criticizes the poor implementation of policies and schemes designed to combat malnutrition and undernourishment, stressing the need to translate plans into tangible results.
Throughout this description, the recurring and central theme is the severe problem of malnutrition among children in India.
Evaluating the Options
Let's examine each option based on the passage's content:
- Option 1: over-population - The passage mentions exploding population as one of the *causes* of malnutrition. However, it is listed as one among many factors contributing to the main problem. It is not presented as the central problem itself, but rather a factor exacerbating the primary issue discussed.
- Option 2: education - The passage mentions literacy as a factor related to child care and education as an urgent area of attention. Ignorance of food knowledge is also cited as a reason for malnutrition. While important and related, education is discussed in the context of addressing the broader issue of malnutrition, not as the primary problem the passage focuses on.
- Option 3: malnutrition - The passage explicitly states that India is the home of the most malnourished children. It then dedicates the rest of the text to discussing the reasons for this malnutrition, the failed attempts to solve it, the urgent needs to address it, and the challenges in implementing solutions. The entire narrative revolves around the problem of malnutrition among children in India.
- Option 4: sanitation - Environmental sanitation is mentioned as one of the factors contributing to malnutrition among children. Like over-population and literacy, it is presented as a *reason* or a *contributing factor* to the main problem, not the main problem itself.
Conclusion
Based on the detailed analysis of the passage, the most prominent and consistently discussed issue is the problem of malnutrition among children in India. All other points mentioned, such as population, education, and sanitation, are discussed in relation to their impact on or role in addressing malnutrition.
Therefore, the passage primarily focuses on the problem of malnutrition.
Revision Table: Key Points on Malnutrition
| Aspect | Details from Passage |
|---|---|
| Central Problem | Malnutrition among children in India |
| Scale of Problem | India has the most malnourished children globally |
| Contributing Factors | Lack of health facilities, potable water, sanitation, literacy, exploding population, bias against female child, weak mothers, ignorance of food knowledge |
| Past/Present Schemes | National Nutrition Council (1994), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS, 1975) |
| Effectiveness of Schemes | Little visible difference, marginal impact, failed to deliver goods due to poor implementation |
| Urgent Action Areas | Nutrition, health, and education of children |
| Proposed Remedies | ‘Care of the mother’ and ‘care by the mother’, effective population control, knowledge of food |
| Implementation Issue | Lack of planning, coordination, monitoring; gap between policies/promises and performance/results |
Additional Information: Tackling Malnutrition in India
Malnutrition is a complex issue involving undernutrition (not getting enough nutrients) and micronutrient deficiencies (lack of essential vitamins and minerals). Its impact on children's physical and cognitive development is severe and long-lasting, affecting their health, educational outcomes, and future productivity.
The passage highlights the multi-faceted nature of the problem. Addressing malnutrition requires not just providing food but also improving access to healthcare, clean water, and sanitation, promoting health education, empowering women, and managing population growth. Schemes like ICDS are designed to provide a package of services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-ups, referral services, pre-school education, and health & nutrition education to children and mothers. However, the passage indicates that implementation challenges significantly hinder their success.
Effective solutions involve community participation, strengthening local healthcare systems, addressing social determinants like poverty and gender inequality, and ensuring that resources allocated for child health and nutrition programs reach the intended beneficiaries efficiently.
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