1.) Underprivileged Education in India

India is a country with a humongous youth population, that tops the list by upholding around 40% of individuals under the age of 18 years that can be quantified as 356 million children. Being one of the youngest countries, it preserves immense potential for development on an individual and societal level. Yet it still remains a question whether the ‘future of India’, otherwise known as ‘young minds of contemporary era’ are evolving enough to contribute positively when they are living on the streets themselves? Can they still dream of a brilliant future when they are bound behind the dark walls of child labour? Can they earn a promising and prosperous life at the cost of their educational rights?
Education, even after being the basic human right, which is important to ensure sustainable development and level inequalities in the society, is still a dream for many underprivileged students. Though the The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 claims to “provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right” along with offering incentives like Mid-Day Meal, scholarships etc. to promote maximal registration and minify the drop-out rates, yet there has been a prominent void between the policies and their practices.

A recent report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) identifies 32 million Indian children of age up to 13 years that have never attended any school (2014)! Though the figures have been improving, as in the year of 2020, an aggregate of 61% of 3-5 year-olds in India were enrolled in early childhood education programmes education in India, which is better than before yet significantly less when compared to 83% on average across OECD countries. But can a child think of education when he is delimited to the thought of availing his next meal or maybe the abuse he’s been through? Concerned about the same, BASTA takes an initiative of fighting for the fundamental rights and against the vices through outreaching each and every child on the streets and slums and making them cognisant about the duties of well-being that they owe to themselves and society.

2.) Health Data Reports in India

Children are known to be the future, the more you nurture them, the better they come as beneficial human beings. But what if the future of the country is malnourished? What if they, who deserve basic livelihood and education, can’t even afford a single bread for their meals? Much similar to the pillars of society constructed with the diluted structure, ever ready to fall! Here, we throw some light upon the crucial aspect of Malnutrition and severe health issues faced by the impoverished children of India.
A Report by UNICEF alerted that “India has 5,772,472 children below five years affected by severe wasting,” which accounts to be the largest number in the world.
Malnourishment has been a grave issue amongst the underprivileged children. Malnourishment or malnutrition, is mainly a term used to define the condition caused due to the lack of proper nutrition due to improper intake of food. It is further characterised into two categories, namely Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) and Moderately Acute Malnourished (MAM). SAM, as per the World Health Organisation, is a condition that has a mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm. While MAM is referred to as a moderate wasting, it has slightly above mid-upper arm
measurement of more than 115mm yet lower than 125 mm. These ailments can cause severe repercussions further, which can even cause death of a child. An upgrade of 91% SAM children has been observed between November 2020 and October 2021.
One of the major reasons for the advancement in numbers is the increased poverty during the pandemic era. The number of SAM children is seen to rise from 9.27 lakh to 17.76 lakh just in the duration of one year.
It has certainly exacerbated the nutrition crisis among the underprivileged children. Another stats by the Women and Child Development ministry quotes that “there are 17.76 lakh severely acute malnourished children (SAM) and 15.46 lakh moderately acute malnourished (MAM) children as of October 14, 2021.”
India, being one of the booming economies, still has a large population deprived of the basic facilities of food and nutrition. This has certainly increased the number of labourers as children who strive to work in order to earn their livelihood. This issue still needs specific attention to be worked upon.

3.) Child trafficking data and reports India

Trafficking of children has been one of the major menaces rampant in our nation. Trafficking, usually defined as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, and/or receipt” by the United Nations, is prominently prevalent in the form of kidnapping of child to serve the intention of sexual exploitation or forced labour.
Based on the data published by National Crime Records Bureau,
-A total of 2,834 children were entrapped in trafficking in 2018 in India.
– In 2019, the number even increased to 2,914.
– NCRB further reports that more than 4,700 people were trafficked in 2020, of which 1,377 were minor boys, and 845 were minor girls.
– The era of pandemic even worsened the situation with a number of 2,222 where a number of cases went unreported.
– An increase of 27.7 per cent” of child trafficking cases has been found in the year of 2021, according to the NCRB reports.
The hike in the number of cases is vivid through the data, further indicating how the menace hit amplified during the COVID-19 period. The volatile economic conditions of individuals around the country due to the loss of jobs during the pandemic has significantly resulted in the increase in the count of abused students.
A number of Acts, inclusive of The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA) as well as The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) are proposed by the government for prevention of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation as well as tackling the concerning issue of trafficking of children. Yet again, policies and practices must align on the thin line in order to forestall the increasing number of cases in the future.

4.) Child Labour Data in India

Has it ever been to you that you visited for a hangout and didn’t even find a single child selling you roses or balloons on the streets while your car waits for the traffic light to turn green, or begging you for food, or maybe cleaning up your shoes so that you just drop a penny to let him survive? Didn’t you ever see a child working around you and wondered about their lost childhood? Well, these children are bound by their circumstances to earn their livelihood to survive.
Labour, in children, has been a growing problem for the Indian Subcontinent. There are various factory’s that conduces the child labour in India, which include:
-inequality
-lack of educational opportunities
-slow demographic transition
-lack of decent work and social protection
-traditions and cultural expectations

India, a country with the largest human population, especially the child population that covers around 400 millions of individuals, still has a number over 150 million children working as bonded labourers. The census conducted in 2011 in the category of children of 5-14 years, a numerical figure of 10.1 million of 259.6 million were found to be child labourers. A latest article over child labour throws light upon the percentage of child workers incisive of both categories of the main and the marginal workers (Age group- 6 years to 13 years) reflects upon 3.48 per cent of the overall children in the same age group.
Clearly, we have a lot to answer for. And as concerned citizens do something about it; something meaningful, something concrete, something urgently. No more do we have the luxury of blaming the system or postponing our actions. The time to take collective as well as individual responsibility to remedy the present situation is here. Right now! And also we need many more Smiles to cater to the vast (increasing) number of children in our country’s population.
Apart from creating a destructive short and long-term consequences for children, Child labour and exploitation also lay a major threat in the development of societies and economies.

5.) Violence and abuse against children facts and data in India

Life has resumed its normal course in the wake of the COVID 19 epidemic, but respite is still a long way off. With over 1,49,400 instances reported, India’s crime rate increased from 29.9% per lakh children in the year 2020 to 33.6% in the following year. The violence epidemic continues to hover over children’s wellbeing.
Violence, in children, has as many facets and languages as in adults. Violence has never known the boundaries of age, caste, society, economics or gender. Under the umbrella of violence are kidnapping, abduction followed by and sexual, physical, emotional violence, abuse, and counting.
According to the statistics as of the year 2021, more than half of the crimes are attributable to the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Bihar. In any form, violence brings neglect and intrapersonal destruction of the image of self and perception of the world around. When we say these children are the ‘future of India,’ do we designate our future with wounds of physical and mental setbacks?
An initiative to heal these wounds, and keeping children out of the zones in the first place, is where BASTA is standing holding the torch