Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Email: nanditakshl28@gmail.com; nanditakaushal@rediffmail.com
Online published on 15 January, 2016.
Child development is imperative for sustainable human development of any country. Child development encompasses various dimensions which are related to well-being of children. Children have to be nurtured in a way that they start their life in a best way. Child population in India is one of the largest in the world. During the decade 2001–2011, the population of the country increased in absolute terms while the population of children (0–6 years) decreased. The overall sex ratio showed a trend of improvement but the child sex ratio (0–6 years) showed a declining trend. India is one such country in the world where child mortality rates are alarmingly high. A perceptible decline has been witnessed in infant mortality rate over a period of time but it is still high and a matter of serious concern. Most of the infant deaths take place in the neo-natal stage. Maternal health has close bearing on child health. Key reproductive and child health indicators from National Family Health Survey show the lagging performance in most of the indicators. The prospects of child survival and development are affected by multitude of factors. The high rates of child mortality in India are due to the fact that the concerned factors and their meaningful impact are found to be wanting in many respects.
Child development, Child mortality, Sex ratio, Health indicators
