ECONOMI

CS PROJECT
BACKWARD AREAS DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES IN
INDIA

Project Submitted to:

Mrs. Eritriya Roy
(Asst. Professor Economics)

Project submitted by:

Pranjal parey
Section-B
Semester II, 116
HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY
ATAL-NAGAR, C.G
INTRODUCION 2

NUTRITION AND GENDER 2

STATE WISE DISPARITY: HARYANA 4

SCHEMES AND POLICIES OF THE STATE 5

RESEARCH QUESTION: -

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF FEMALE GENDER IN THE BACKWARD REGIONS

OF SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENTAL STEPS TO MITIGATE THE PREVAILING
DISASTER...

INTRODUCTION
Backwardness has always been a perceptive term. Generally, it has been categorized with rural
settlements and areas which up to a certain extent stands valid but it has to be kept in mind that
even though all backward areas are rural not all rural areas have been or are backward.
The government has scripted many schemes, action plans, and task-forces for the upliftment of
these areas; nothing much has been done on the ground. Eventually, the government realized it,
and ever since the end of the seventh five-year plan no new schemes have been introduced to
date. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to throw some light on the nutritional
status of women in the backward areas of the country and basically what have been the steps by
the government to mitigate the brunt of this pattern in the different life stages of women.

OBJECTIVES
1. To highlight the importance of women and indirectly nutrition in the life cycle of a
human being.
2. To explain in detail the schemes put up by the government for the above-mentioned
objective.

SCOPE

An attempt has been made to highlight the importance of female nutrition and a compact
empirical study can be done towards the same. Also, more schemes could have been covered and
an umbrella scheme or effort is needed to handle the same also to fill the bottlenecks or lacunas
left wide open by the past schemes.
 LIMITATIONS
1. WORD LIMIT had been a major drawback. Had it been a bit more a greater and much
better effort would have been given.
2. No personal or physical contact has been made to the backward areas due to the presence
of pandemic.

NUTRITION AND GENDER

INFANT STAGE

India has been one of the most populous countries in the world coming shy of only China.
Holding a record such as that India also holds a record for the most malnourished children, the
most number of under-5 deaths, around 45% of the world deaths in this category happen in India,
a big reason to worry. India is also the place where the largest number of neonatal deaths takes
place and it has to be kept in mind that the body count of infants in accordance with gender is
never equal with females always suffering more than males. The mortality rate stands at 38.4 per
thousand infants for males and 40.4 for females which only proves the above-mentioned
statement. If we by any chance deduce it backward this difference between male and female
mortality is the inherent discrimination women have to face especially in backward areas which
indirectly cause malnutrition which has always been the biggest reason for infant mortality. This
discrimination can be pointed to the gender discrimination which is widespread in the backward
area where most of these death takes place and also to the socio-cultural mindset of the poor
families which was not able to be improved because of the lack of education facilities and in turn
opportunities and also to the lack of economic development in such areas.

This bias however proves one thing that prevalence of malnutrition is less among males than
females. Jean Dreaze and Dr. Amartya Sen in their respective researches have mentioned that
female infants are even breastfed for a shorter duration which increases the risk of mortality
among female infants. “Based on her analysis of the differential treatment of girls and boys in
North India, Barbara Miller terms the prevailing anti-female bias as ‘extended infanticide.’”1

ADOLESCENCE AND THE WHOLE LIFE CYCLE

The biases in various families which start with strong son prevalence follow that girl throughout
her life. Even the adult female members are treated inferior to their male counterparts and they,
in general, receive a lower share of nutrition and economic resources. These biases are
transferred into the next generation as and when they give birth to unfit and malnourished and
sometimes even worse still-born children. From time to time this trend has been seen in houses
with low economic resources. To weed out this whole system of gender discrimination

1 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/a-gendered-view-of-indias-

nutrition-strategy/article29433201.ece> [Accessed 2 April 2021].
government of India started the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyaan, a mass awareness, and
advocacy program, to change the mindset of people. This scheme of the Indian government has
been followed up in the latter part of this research paper.

THE BIRTHING AND GENERATIONAL EFFECT

As has been mentioned earlier, that these undernourished women pass on their weakness to other
generations when they give birth to their stunted young ones. What compounds all of it is the
young one given birth by a young mother, before they are developed or grown enough, basically
an adolescent. This is also compounded by the lack of planning in the pregnancy and giving birth
to young ones in short intervals which massively degrades both mother and children’s nutritional
benefits. One of the most important reasons for malnourishment in children is the lack of
nutrition among children when it happens the most i.e. during pregnancy or in the womb of a
mother. This can be cited to the poor care and nutrition that women receive during pregnancy. To
counter this Unicef India released a five-point essential nutrition intervention that needs to be
kept in mind which focuses on women’s health during different stages of pregnancy like
maintaining their macro as well as micronutrient levels, access to better health care services in
distinct but close intervals. It also focuses on empowering women to have a say in their
pregnancies which is too early, too often, and too close.

STATE WISE DISPARITY: HARYANA

The northern part of the Indian subcontinent has been in a constant tussle for power and with that
struggle comes a serious need for men almost every time and with this came a son-centered want
in families that went berzerk in the patriarchal society. States consisting of Haryana, Rajasthan,
Punjab, and some parts of Uttar Pradesh have been unable to remove those shackles of those old
practices that treated women no more than an object. Following is an analysis of the state of
Haryana known as a sports powerhouse of the country but has been declared one of the most
dangerous states for women to live and even to take birth. The prime focus will be on the
northern state of Haryana.

Haryana holds the worst boy to girl ratio with 877 girls per thousand boys as compared to the
national average of 940/1000 boys. Despite the Supreme court’s intervention to address the issue
and hold the state government responsible things have not fared better and it genuinely seems
that the state government is not serious on the issue. In the report released by NITI aayog, in
which the birth rate of a female infant was released Haryana topped the biggest list along with
the 17 other states mainly present in the Hindi belt. Even if that girl comes into this world it will
surely and certainly in most cases will be killed especially in the state of Haryana which can be
seen by observing the rising cases of female foeticide.

Considering the last child ratio in the state there were 2300 boys to every 1000 girls which
degrade the already destroyed image of the state. Comparing other states with the society of
similar backgrounds like the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan it stands somewhere
around 2100.
Concerning the educational infrastructure of the state, there are 945 schools for girls combining
every single level which is nowhere near the mark to support the female population of the state
however dismal or degraded it may be. Adding to the list of woes almost 49.3% of girls leave
their education in between and drop out even before matriculation.
In sports Haryana, as mentioned earlier is power and the percentage of women athletes in the
state is 4.2% of the total which is way higher than the national average of 3.5%. This could be a
deciding factor concerning women's empowerment in the state. One of the two Olympic
medallists from India belonged to Haryana which should give some sense as to what are the
capabilities of women and where they could be if they are allowed to move freely. However,
there are still many places where the state could work including the workforce in which women
participation stands somewhere around 28.8% which way less than their adjoining state of the
U.P. and Punjab.
Looking at the above picture Haryana as a state and society has to go a long way and a lot has to
be done by the government to achieve that including refurbishing many policies put up by the
central government as well as themselves.

SCHEMES AND POLICIES OF THE STATE

1. NATIONAL NUTRITION MISSION

This is the prime scheme of the government of India. Launched in 2018 on the guidelines of NITI aayog
and focuses on tackling nutrition in women and their children at the time of their birth. It however to be
exact primarily and majorly focuses on lactating as well as a pregnant mother.
It is a combined effort by various ministries and departments but primarily works under the ministry of
women and Child welfare to put a convergence in efforts.it is a key element of the national nutrition
strategy of NITI aayog prepared under the famous motto of “ KUPOSHAN MUKT BHARAT”.
It is financed on a 50-50 basis of which 50% provided by the world bank and the rest by the central
government of India. In addition to it, the central government’s budget is divided into the ratio of 60:40
for regular states, 90:10 for north-eastern states and Himalayan states, and 100% for union territories.
However, over the period several bottlenecks in this scheme have been identified by observers and
therefore there seems to be a scope of serious improvement. For instance, there seems to be a need for
expansion of scope in relation to the females and this scheme should add various age groups and this
positive discrimination is to upheld to make this right equal for every gender.

By focusing on the female gender it is certain that with proper implementation it can create a severe dent
into the malnutrition and with well-nutritioned girls living healthy lives along with the future generation
would be more sound and healthy.
 2. THE FLAGSHIP SCHEME OF THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA: BETI BACHAO BETI
PADHAO YOJANA.
This scheme was inaugurated in 2015 and for the past 6 years has worked smoothly in the educational
lines to give basic education and increase the attendance of girl child in the elementary educational
institutions. It was initiated and managed by the women and child welfare ministry. Besides this scheme
ministry also celebrates National girl child day on 24th January every year and every year this scheme is
reviewed by the government on this day.
Main objectives as has been mentioned by the ministry include the sex-selective elimination of
infants under which guidelines would be regularly issued by a task force to prevent it. Secondly,
after the birth of the girl child working towards the survival and protection of the girl child and
lastly ensuring proper educational opportunities and help in their participation.

Along with the above-mentioned elements, it focuses on the multisectoral action of almost 100
selected districts with the lowest levels of sex ratio in the whole country. For the above-
mentioned step, it is a joint initiative of HRD ministry, MInistry of health and family welfare,
and Ministry of women and child development.
Attached to this scheme there is an annual festival by the name of sukanya samriddhi scheme
which is run in every single district of the country. BBBP scheme has been instrumental in
bringing focus to the issues faced by a girl child in every single sphere of life. This includes the
rudimentary approach of society towards female education, broader approach to female
infanticide, and rights society does not allow a woman to possess during their whole life cycle.
Along with it, the government of India initiated a small but resourceful scheme by the name of
SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI YOJANA.
It acts as a small saving instrument for the girl child. This instrument can be opened in a post
office or a public sector bank and the main requirement is of the girl child being 10 years or
younger which makes parent or respective guardian nominee for investment in it.
A maximum amount of 1,50,000 can be invested in this scheme and the minimum amount
keeping the poor population in mind has been kept as low as 100.

It has a sound withdrawal mechanism as well under which the sum can be withdrawn at 21 years
from the date of setting up of the instrument or on the date a girl marries whichever is earlier.
The balance of it will continue to be accrued if in any case, a girl child plans not to marry.

CONCLUSION

Government at the centre and government of respective states have cumulatively started 100s of
the scheme if not thousands to counter various social evils and practices prevalent in backward
areas but everything seems exceptional in black and white until it is implemented by officials on
the ground where due to the lethargic system the actual benefit of these schemes get lost and
never reaches to its deserving crowd. A lot seems to have been done but a long road ahead still
stands. Quoting the current prime minister on this issue he said in one of his speeches that India
is like a long passenger train which if any turn comes takes a lot of time to turn and that seems
the case with the issue of gender and nutrition and the response of society on this issue.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. HINDU BUSINESS LINE https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/
2. Indian express https://indianexpress.com/
3. Drishti IAS https://www.drishtiias.com/