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.
National Nutrition Council
Understanding the Malnutrition Problem in India
The passage discusses the significant issue of child malnutrition in India, highlighting that despite considerable spending on child care, the problem persists. It identifies malnutrition as a complex, multilevel issue influenced by factors like access to health facilities, clean water, sanitation, and literacy.
The text also mentions that historical efforts, such as the National Nutrition Council and the Integrated Child Development Scheme, have not resulted in visible improvements in the situation.
Identifying Organizations Tackling Malnutrition
The question asks to identify an organization mentioned in the passage that was set up to tackle the problem of malnutrition.
Let's examine the relevant sentence from the passage:
"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."
This sentence explicitly mentions two initiatives in the context of addressing the malnutrition situation:
- The setting up of the National Nutrition Council in 1994.
- The Integrated Child Development Scheme launched in 1975.
Both are presented as efforts aimed at improving the situation, which includes tackling malnutrition.
The question asks for an organisation (or scheme/council as presented in options) that was 'set up' or 'launched' to tackle the problem.
Analyzing the Options
Let's look at the provided options based on the passage:
- Integrated Child Development Scheme: The passage states this was "launched in 1975" in the context of addressing the malnutrition situation. This is a valid initiative mentioned.
- National Literacy Mission: This is not mentioned in the passage.
- National Nutrition Council: The passage states this was "set up in 1994" specifically in the context of the malnutrition situation. This is a valid initiative mentioned.
- Population Control Mission: While effective population control is mentioned as a remedy, no specific "Population Control Mission" is named as an organization or scheme set up to tackle malnutrition directly.
Based on the explicit mention of its setting up in relation to the malnutrition problem, the National Nutrition Council is identified in the passage as an entity established for this purpose.
Therefore, according to the passage, the National Nutrition Council was set up to tackle the problem of malnutrition.
| Initiative/Organization | Mentioned in Passage | Purpose (Implied by Context) | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Child Development Scheme | Yes | Addressing malnutrition situation | Launched in 1975 |
| National Nutrition Council | Yes | Addressing malnutrition situation | Set up in 1994 |
| National Literacy Mission | No | - | - |
| Population Control Mission | No (Population control mentioned as remedy) | - | - |
Conclusion based on the passage
The passage directly refers to the "setting up of the National Nutrition Council" in the context of addressing the "sordid situation" of child malnutrition.
Revision Table: Key Concepts
| Term | Explanation from Passage |
|---|---|
| Malnutrition | Severe issue in India, despite spending on child care. |
| Causes of Malnutrition | Multilevel problem: access to health, water, sanitation, literacy, exploding population, bias against female child, weak mothers, ignorance about food. |
| Remedies | Care of mother, care by mother, effective population control, addressing ignorance about food. |
| National Nutrition Council | Set up in 1994 to tackle the situation, but little visible difference made. |
| Integrated Child Development Scheme | Launched in 1975 to tackle the situation, but little visible difference made. |
| Implementation Issues | Lack of planning, coordination, monitoring; schemes have marginal impact; need to translate schemes into deeds. |
Additional Information: Addressing Child Malnutrition
Child malnutrition is a critical public health issue impacting development. It is not just about lack of food, but also about inadequate intake of necessary nutrients, repeated infections, and poor care practices.
Key aspects involved in addressing child malnutrition include:
- Improving maternal health and nutrition, as a mother's health directly affects her child's.
- Promoting exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and appropriate complementary feeding thereafter.
- Ensuring access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) to prevent infections that worsen malnutrition.
- Providing timely and adequate healthcare, including immunizations and treatment for common childhood illnesses.
- Educating caregivers (especially mothers) on proper nutrition and child care practices.
- Addressing socio-economic factors, including poverty, food security, and gender inequality (like bias against female children).
- Effective implementation and monitoring of government schemes and programs at the grassroots level.
Efforts like the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) aim to provide a package of services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-ups, referral services, pre-school non-formal education, and health and nutrition education. Despite these programs, challenges in reach, quality, and implementation persist, as highlighted in the passage.
Similar Questions
Match the people with the dishes they liked.
People Dishes they liked
a. Rahul’s wife 1. Soup
b. Rahul’s mother 2. Peas and paneer
c. Rahul's friends 3. Salad
Which ingredients did Rahul put in the soup that he prepared?
a. Tomatoes
b. Onions
c. Carrots
What did Rahul get from the supermarket?
How did Rahul get the cookbook?
How did Rahul manage to get the cream for the soup?
Which of the following statements shows that the cities of Indus Valley were well planned?
Which discovery indicated that people of Indus valley stored large amount of grain?
Which of the following crops were NOT grown by people of Indus Valley?
The passage focusses on the problem of
Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
What best describes bulimia?
When an activity requires too much effort we feel:
What kind of attitude does the writer advocate for a life of fulfilment?
Why did the young lady approach the piano teacher for music lessons?
What does 'bread making' attitude consist of?
