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Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Amul's new liquid infant formula sparks backlash from activists for alleged IMS Act violation
Amul's recent launch of what it claimed to be 'India's first liquid infant formula' has triggered sharp criticism from public health activists , who have accused the dairy giant of violating the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act. The activists have filed a formal complaint with key government bodies, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health , FSSAI, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. The IMS Act strictly prohibits the promotion of breastmilk substitutes for children under the age of two. Activists argue that the manner in which Amul's new product was launched and reported in the media amounts to a clear case of promotion — which is banned under Section 3(c) of the law. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets The coverage of the product highlighted its convenience, calling it 'ideal to carry' and 'good for working mothers'. Activists contend that this framing 'directly positions the product as a substitute for breastfeeding and this action as promotion.' They also pointed out that Amul's use of a teddy bear graphic on the label may be in breach of IMS Act provisions that ban 'pictures or other graphic material or phrases designed to increase the saleability of infant milk substitute or infant food.' Live Events In response, Amul issued a clarification on social media, saying: 'Amulspray is one of India's oldest and most trusted infant milk food brands and is in complete compliance of the IMS Act…' However, public health advocates remain unconvinced. 'Amul's actions constitute a clear case of promotion of an infant milk substitute — an act explicitly prohibited under Section 3(c) of the IMS Act,' they maintained. The complainants have called for an official enquiry into the launch and marketing of the product, the removal of the teddy bear graphic from the packaging, issuance of media guidelines for IMS-compliant reporting, and strict enforcement of the Act.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Decriminalise consensual relationship under Pocso, form sex education policy, SC advises govt
The Supreme Court has urged the Centre to rethink the strict application of the Pocso law in cases involving consensual teenage relationships. It also called for a national policy on sexual and reproductive health education. read more The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider decriminalising consensual relationships between teenagers so they are not jailed under the strict Pocso law. It also suggested creating a policy on sexual and reproductive health education. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Centre, asking the Ministry of Women and Child Development to set up an expert panel to study the issue and submit a report by July 25. The court said it will issue further directions after reviewing the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a developing story.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
How rejected Aadhaar applications helped two IAS officers reunite 10 missing people with their families in Madhya Pradesh
BHOPAL: A dedicated initiative led by two IAS officers, Gwalior District Collector Ruchika Chauhan and Dabra SDM Divyanshu Chaudhary has helped reunite 10 missing people with their families across different parts of India, including some who had been separated for more than ten years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative, which began with Aadhaar enrolment for residents housed at Apna Ghar Ashram in Dabra, is now being praised for its innovative approach to assisting those abandoned or suffering from mental and physical disabilities. In recognition of this initiative, the UIDAI has written to collectors across Madhya Pradesh urging them to adopt the same strategy to help reunite missing persons with their families. The Aadhaar enrolment programme at Apna Ghar Ashram in Dabra was initiated with the goal of identifying and reconnecting residents separated from their families. SDM Divyanshu Chaudhary explained that the mission began in October 2024 when he first visited the shelter home. 'We found that none of the residents had any official documents. So, we decided to start with creating Aadhaar cards for everyone in the shelter. I sent a request to UIDAI asking if Aadhaar could be issued based on a letter from the Tehsildar confirming their residence at Apna Ghar. The request was accepted, and we enrolled around 84 residents,' said Chaudhary. However, when the applications were processed, they discovered that 23 of the residents had already been enrolled in the Aadhaar system. Chaudhary continued, 'Using the existing Aadhaar details, we contacted the families of these residents. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Out of the 23 families reached, 13 refused to accept their relatives back for various reasons. But 10 people were successfully reunited with their families across different districts. ' One of the most encouraging reunions was that of Kalavati, a resident of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, who had been missing for three years. Kalavati had been living at Apna Ghar Ashram due to mental health challenges. Her Aadhaar record, already in the system, helped authorities trace her family. After contacting her family, Kalavati was joyfully reunited with her son Shivshankar and son-in-law in a tearful and emotional meeting at Apna Ghar Ashram in Dabra. Chaudhary added, 'It was an overwhelming experience for everyone present. Kalavati's reunion with her family showed the power of Aadhaar in restoring hope and bringing people back together.' The success of the Aadhaar-based reunification initiative has caught the attention of UIDAI and the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The regional office of UIDAI sent a letter to district collectors across Madhya Pradesh urging that the appropriate steps may be taken to organise new Aadhaar enrolment camps at the CCIs for this noble social welfare which may help in reuniting missing children with their guardians or parents. The RO also reminded collectors of the 20 December 2022 SOP issued by the Ministry to help reunite missing children with their parents or guardians through Aadhaar. The SOP encourages the organisation of new Aadhaar enrolment camps at Child Care Institutions (CCIs) for children who are missing, have run away, or have been abandoned. According to the SOP, 'New Aadhaar enrolment IDs of children enrolled in these camps should be compiled and shared with the UIDAI State Office Bhopal team. If a child has already been enrolled prior to going missing, the system will reject the new application as a duplicate. UIDAI will provide the original Aadhaar enrolment ID, which can then be used to download and print the Aadhaar card.' The initiative to reunite missing children with their families is part of the government's broader social welfare efforts. UIDAI's Director (State Office Bhopal), Sumit Mishra, emphasised the importance of organising Aadhaar enrolment camps at CCIs for the welfare of children, urging the authorities to take action. 'It is sincerely urged that the appropriate steps be taken to organise new Aadhaar enrolment camps at the CCIs for this noble social welfare,' Mishra wrote. Since the start of this initiative, Apna Ghar Ashram in Dabra has helped 10 persons, including Krishna, Karamchand, Sahdev, Devansh, Khemchand, Lilavati, and Devi, reunite with their families. The impact of the initiative is already evident. As one of the officers involved said, 'Aadhaar has proven to be a game-changer in reuniting families. What started as a small effort at Apna Ghar Ashram has grown into a successful model that can be replicated across the state and country to help missing children and adults reconnect with their families.'
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
The ingredient to turn around nutrition outcomes
The analysis of India's free foodgrain programme for 800 million people underscores a grim reality: that hunger and malnutrition remain pressing concerns. Yet, in India's long battle against malnutrition, women and girls remain the most overlooked section. Despite steady economic progress and numerous welfare schemes, nutritional inequality continues to be deeply gendered. Launched in 2018 with the vision of a malnutrition-free India by 2022, the Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyaan has the aim of improving nutrition for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and young children. However, stark disparities persist. Structural failures The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 reveals that 57% of women in the age group 15 to 49 years are anaemic, in comparison to 26% of men; nearly one in five women are underweight. In other words, women are far more likely to be malnourished than men in India. These figures point to structural failures in how we address nutrition. Even after merging schemes into 'POSHAN 2.0' and investing heavily, the needle has not moved enough for women. Indeed, POSHAN Abhiyaan is India's largest nutrition programme with a hefty budget. In 2022-23, the Ministry of Women and Child Development was allocated nearly ₹24,000 crore for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, but by December 2022, only 69% of those funds had been utilised. Despite such spending, the prevalence of anaemia among women actually rose from 53% to 57% between the last two NFHS rounds, and about 18.7% of women remain underweight. This contrast suggests that just pumping in resources into a women-centric nutrition scheme is not enough. In many Indian households, especially the poorer ones, women's nutritional needs are literally last in line. Entrenched cultural norms often mean that when food is scarce, women and girls eat least and last. Thus, malnutrition is not just a biomedical or food-supply issue; it is a social justice issue. If a woman lacks economic independence or decision-making power, she may have little control over her diet and health. Even government data underscores this link: the NFHS-5 found that 49% of women lack decision-making power over how their own earnings are spent. This financial dependence often translates into compromised nutrition — a result of gender-based deprivation. The issue of empowerment Studies have shown that empowering women financially is one of the most effective ways to improve nutrition. Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, for instance, finds that when women control extra income, they are more likely to spend it on nutrition and children's well-being. In a study we conducted among low-income communities, we observed that women with even a modest independent income or control over household spending were far less likely to be undernourished. The missing piece in India's nutrition puzzle is women's economic and social empowerment. The state of women's employment suggests that female labour force participation has risen from about 23% in 2017-18 to around 33% in 2021–22 — a positive shift on paper. But a vast majority of working women are in insecure, low-paying jobs. According to the Periodic Labour Force Surveys, as of 2021-22 only 5% of working women held a regular salaried job, while nearly 20% were self-employed (mostly in small-scale or informal activities). Moreover, self-employed women earned on average 53% less than men in similar work. In effect, many women who do work are barely earning enough to survive, employment has not yet translated into the power to make decisions or invest in their own nutrition and well-being. Thus, it is not enough to get women into the workforce; the quality and security of their jobs matter just as much. Without skills training, equal pay, and access to stable employment, women remain economically vulnerable even when they work. As a result, even well-intentioned nutrition programmes such as POSHAN will have limited impact if women cannot afford or are not empowered to consume the nutritious food being provided. Government reports praise Poshan Abhiyaan for creating awareness and a 'Jan Andolan' around nutrition, but awareness alone cannot fill an empty stomach. Need for convergence If POSHAN 2.0 aims to eliminate undernutrition, it should work in tandem with schemes that boost women's incomes and status. First, it must set measurable targets not just for reducing anaemia or stunting, but also for increasing the proportion of women with independent incomes and decision-making power. Second, it must break the silos, making sure that nutrition, health, and livelihood departments work together on joint interventions in high-malnutrition districts. Third, it must use Anganwadi centres and health workers to not only distribute food and supplements but also to connect women with skill training, credit schemes, or job opportunities. An Anganwadi can double as a one-stop hub for women's welfare (meals, antenatal care, financial literacy workshops). Ultimately, a malnutrition-free India will be possible only when women are not seen as passive beneficiaries of nutrition schemes but as active agents driving the health and the prosperity of their families. Divya Bharti is a Researcher and Faculty Associate, KIIT School of Management
New Indian Express
13-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
287 orphaned kids adopted in Odisha in 2024-25: CARA
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has witnessed a rise in child adoption rate in the last one year, with 287 orphaned, abandoned or surrendered children getting adopted in 2024-25. According to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, more girls were adopted than boys. While 151 girls were adopted, the number was 136 for boys. Of them, 259 such children (122 boys and 137 girls) were adopted within the country and 28 (14 boys and as many girls) found parental care outside the country. While Maharashtra had the highest number of children being adopted at 849, Odisha stood fifth in the list after Tamil Nadu (465), West Bengal (328) and Karnataka (306). In 2023-24, the number of adoptions - both within and outside the country - from Odisha was 259. There are 33 specialised adoption agencies (SAA) under the WCD department in 28 districts through which children are adopted. Officials said the waiting period for adoption under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act has been significantly brought down compared to the previous years with collectors now having the power to decide on the adoptive parents. The Act mandates that adoption cases should be disposed of within two months of filing of the application by the prospective parents.
