Children should be at the core of any development discourse; demands CRY

X : @the_news_21

Mumbai – While applauding the Union Budget that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled today, the well-known social NGO CRY—Child Rights and You—demanded that children be at the centre of any development conversation. Furthermore, CRY genuinely hopes that children will be at the core of the growth narrative that the nation will tell in the days to come.

CRY examined the Union Budget’s 24–25 children’s allocation. The association claims that the preliminary analysis of the Union Budget (BE) for the Financial Year 2024–2025 reveals that the welfare of the children will receive Rs. 109,920.95 crore (BE) of the overall allocation of Rs. 4,820,512 crores.

In addition, the overall budgetary allotment for children has increased in comparison to the prior year. A total of Rs. 5,741.32 crore has been allocated to the kid budget, up from Rs. 104,179.63 crore in the fiscal year 2023–24 to Rs. 109,920.95 crore in 2024–25.

Health and nutrition

The National Health Programme, the National Urban Health Mission, and the Flexible Pool for RCH and Health System Strengthening—three of the most significant child health initiatives—have all witnessed increases in 2024–2025 (BE). The estimated allocation for this year is Rs. 4,153.48 crore, compared to Rs. 3,187.17 crore for 2023–2024 (BE).

The allocation for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 has grown from Rs. 17,471.16 crores in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 18,020.00 crores in 2024–25 (BE), an increase of Rs. 548.84 crores in absolute numbers. This increase is approximately 3.14 percent.

In 2023–24 (BE), the financial allocation for Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), formerly known as Mid-day Meal, increased to Rs. 12,467.39 crores in 2024–25 (BE). A rise of 7.48 percent has occurred here.

Education

The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan budget grew by 0.12 percent, or Rs. 46.53 crore, in absolute terms, from Rs. 37,453.47 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 37,500 crore in 2024–25 (BE).

Post-matric scholarships for minorities increased from Rs. 1,065 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 1,145.38 crore in 2024–25 (BE), a 7.55 percent rise. The budgetary provision for pre-matric scholarships for minorities has been reduced, though, from Rs. 433 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 326.16 crore in 2024–25 (BE).

The allocation for PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) has increased from Rs. 4,000 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 6,050 crore in 2024–25 (BE), a rise of Rs. 2,050 crore. That’s a 51.25 percent rise.

The amount allocated to Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has increased from Rs. 5,486.50 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 5,800 crore in 2024–25 (BE), a rise of Rs. 313.50 crore.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has seen an increase in allocation from Rs. 8,363.98 crore in 2023–24 (BE) to Rs. 9,302.67 crore in 2024–25 (BE) of Rs. 938.69 crore).

Child Protection

When comparing 2024–25 (BE) to 2023–24 (BE), the allocation for Mission Vatsalya stayed at Rs. 1,472.17 crores.