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Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Case for diversity in higher courts
A former chief justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Suresh Kumar Kait, has alleged that the collegium, which makes the final selection of judges to constitutional courts, is 'dishonest' in its treatment of people from the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC), while making appointments to the high courts. His claim rests on the fact that the number of judges from these social groups is not commensurate with their share in the country's population. Kait has proposed reservations to address this anomaly. Kait's very subjective description of the conduct of the collegium could be discarded, but his remark about the lack of diversity and representation in high courts surely calls for a conversation. To be sure, the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which guides appointments in constitutional courts, has not proposed caste quotas in judiciary. The collegium makes its choices using MoP as a guide and, after due consideration, which includes consultations with the government and review of feedback from State agencies, appoints the judges. Merit and seniority are considerations when the collegium looks at the candidates, but multiple chief justices of the Supreme Court have said they try to ensure that appointments reflect the social diversity of the country. However, data shows that despite the best intentions of the collegium, the higher judiciary remains mostly the preserve of upper caste Hindus. A response by the government in the Lok Sabha in December 2024 reveals that out of 684 high court judges appointed since 2018, 21 belong to SC category, 14 to ST category, and 82 belong to OBC category. In percentage terms, this is 3%, 2%, and 12% of the appointments, whereas the share of these groups in the population (as per the National Family Health Survey, 2019-2021) is 22%, 9.5%, and 42%. A data analysis by HT revealed that 75.6% of judges in the Supreme Court during 2010-25 belonged to Hindu upper castes, whereas OBC representation was limited to 7.8%. The representation trend has improved over the decades, though the change has been far from adequate. Kait's attempt to shame the collegium as 'dishonest' is uncalled for, but the data is glaring for anyone to ignore that Dalits, tribals and OBCs are underrepresented in constitutional courts. Appointments to constitutional posts have not followed any principle of affirmative action, but representation has become a political question — so much so that no party can ignore it in the selection of people to ministerial positions and high public office. The inclusion of caste enumeration in the census and legislation on women's reservation in Parliament suggest that representation and diversity have become central to public life and appointments. The judiciary's turn has come.
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
For women, nutrition is not just about food but a socio-cultural construct
— Rituparna Patgiri Post-independent India has faced a triple crisis of nutrition – undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. As per the Global Hunger Index (2020), India's position is 94 out of 107 countries. The Global Nutrition Report in 2020 also underlined that India is most likely to miss global nutrition targets by 2025. These findings seem to align with the data released from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (2019-21). The survey reported that among children under the age of five, 35.5 per cent are stunted, 19.3 per cent are wasted, and 32.1 per cent are underweight. Although these figures have improved from the last round of survey conducted in NFHS-4 in 2015-16, nutrition still remains a concern. When it comes to women, nutrition is not just about food, but a socio-cultural construct. Let's explore. The nutritional burden also has a gendered dimension. According to the NFHS-5 data, as many as 57 per cent of women aged 15-49 were anaemic in 2019-21, compared to 53 per cent in 2015-16. Nutrition is not just about food, but a socio-cultural construct. It is influenced by structural inequalities, gendered roles, household food distribution and cultural factors. Notably, the prevalence of anaemia (57.2 per cent) was higher in non-pregnant women than in pregnant women (52.2 per cent). It shows that women, especially non-pregnant women, rarely receive special care and nutritious food sources. For instance, anthropological studies – such as Leela Dube's Women and Kinship: Perspectives on Gender in South and South-East Asia (1997) – show that customarily girls are denied milk except in the educated, upper middle-class. Most are entitled to milk only in special circumstances such as lactation, illness and pregnancy. The neglect of menstrual health further leads to worsening rates of anemia, with 59 per cent of adolescent girls (15-19 years) found to be anemic, which poses increased risks during pregnancy and childbirth. Apart from anemia, 33.1 per cent of girls under the age of five are stunted. This is a result of several factors, including anemic and malnourished mothers as well as less care after childbirth because of being born as girls. While wasting and underweight figures are similar for girls and boys, girls receive less health care and nutrition during illness. Moreover, despite being responsible for managing the nutritional needs of their families, women are often the ones who eat less and last. These trends highlight inter-generational nutritional inequality. Children born to thin mothers, whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is less than 18.5 kg/m2 have higher probability of being stunted, wasted, and underweight. Out of 28 states, the prevalence of anemia rose in 21. West Bengal and Gujarat have the highest rates. Assam, Chhattisgarh and Tripura experienced an increase by 15 percentage points, while Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Telangana recorded a rise of less than 5 percentage points. Women from Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities face a higher risk of anemia, indicating a lack of access to healthcare. In comparison, women with higher education levels are less likely to be anemic, suggesting that education improves nutrition knowledge and leads to better dietary practices. It needs to be underlined here that Kerala stands out for its relatively nutritional equity across gender due to high female literacy, late marriage and good reach of the public distribution system. Stunting in children decreases with improvements in mothers' educational and nutritional status. Contrastingly, children born to mothers with no access to schooling and in the lowest wealth percentile are more undernourished. In this context, Sikkim is another notable state as it has focused on improving women's access to education and healthcare facilities. As such, Sikkim fares second best after Mizoram in the North-East with respect to gender and nutrition as per the NFHS-5 data. These numbers indicate the need for good governance and best practices at the local level to improve nutritional status, particularly of women. Another emerging nutritional issue among Indian women is overnutrition. For the first time in the country's recorded history, there are more overnourished than undernourished women in the 15-49 year age group. Currently, 41.3 per cent of women are overweight or obese. This trend is more pronounced in urban areas where 33 per cent of women are overnourished compared to 21 per cent in rural areas. As a result, women face a heightened risk of contracting non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Most often, women are the primary caregivers and have limited or no time for self-care, health management, and physical activity. In addition to this, women also have micronutrient deficiency as their diets often lack diversity, with protein intake missing significantly. The cultural norm of eating less and often eating last further impacts women's nutritional well-being. The Indian Constitution recognises the Right to Food – access to adequate food and nutrition for every citizen – under the Right to Life as per Article 21. Article 47 of the Directive Principles of State Policy also places a duty on the state to raise the level of nutrition and public health. India has also committed to end hunger as per Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To address such concerns, the government has launched a number of policies and schemes. These include the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) launched in 1975, the National Nutrition Policy (1993), National Health Policy (2017), the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) (2017) and Poshan 2.0 launched in 2021. While most of the earlier initiatives focused on children, pregnant and lactating women, Poshan 2.0 expanded the lens to adolescent girls. Nutritional status is not determined only during pregnancy and childbirth. Improving nutrition and health requires a longitudinal approach. Poshan 2.0 also advocates for the use of technology, real-time monitoring using a digital tracking app (Poshan tracker) and behavioural change to improve nutrition. While India has a significant number of policies and schemes, their implementation and performance vary across states and districts. Grassroot service providers like the Anganwadi workers are underpaid and overworked. Some studies also noted that at times, they also have to provide supplementary food items and take home ration (THR) packets from their own pockets. These factors demotivate them and affect the adequate delivery of childcare and nutritional services. Nutrition is also connected with issues of social justice and healthcare and requires coordinated actions across multiple sectors and departments. While India has so far focused on undernutrition, there is now an emerging need to address the issue of overnutrition too. Adequately expanding the ambit of policymaking would help combat obesity and non-communicable diseases. State-led initiatives, such as mid-day meals, THR packets, could incorporate more healthy and diverse diets. Promoting nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices and building private-public partnerships to deliver nutritional services would also help expand the reach and quality of nutritional services. Having a multi-disciplinary approach to nutritional policies by involving economists, sociologists, policy makers and nutritionists, and, more importantly, women representatives would also help them become more socially effective. Nutrition is not just about food, but a socio-cultural construct. Comment. The Indian Constitution recognises the Right to Food. How do you see this in the context of the cultural norm of women eating less and often eating last? How does the nutritional status of women affect intergenerational health outcomes, particularly in children under five? Do you think that overnutrition among urban women complicates the policy focus on undernutrition? Why and what could be the possible ways to address this? There are noted variations in state-level performance with regard to women's nutritional status. What does this say about the role of governance and socio-cultural context in improving gendered nutrition outcomes? (Rituparna Patgiri is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati.) Share your thoughts and ideas on UPSC Special articles with Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Raghav Chadha Says Annual Health Checkups A "Luxury", Should Be For All
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Monday demanded that every citizen be granted a legal right to Annual Health Checkups, highlighting that the early diagnosis of diseases could save countless lives and ease the burden on India's healthcare system. During a Special Mention in the Upper House, Mr Chadha said, "Annual health checkups have become a luxury in our country - something only the affluent can afford. A mother who never knew she had cancer, a son who discovered his blood pressure only after a stroke, a sister whose vision loss revealed diabetes - these stories are far too common." Referring to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and several viral videos of young people suffering cardiac arrests on a daily basis, Mr Chadha said the time has come for structured, state-sponsored preventive healthcare becoming central to India's public health policy. Mr Chadha said that only 2 per cent of Indian women have undergone cancer screening, citing data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), terming it "deeply alarming." He urged the government to make affordable, accessible and routine health screenings a legal right for every citizen, with systems in place across urban and rural India. "In several countries, governments proactively conduct health checkups. They invite citizens to participate and ensure that illnesses are caught early," Mr Chadha said in Parliament. Speaking to NDTV after raising the issue in Parliament, Mr Chadha said, "This is standard practice in most developed countries, but sadly not in India. If the government allows this, I don't think it will be a huge financial burden." He added, "In fact, it will actually bring healthcare expenditure down in the long run. When illnesses are detected early, we avoid the need for prolonged and costly treatments in government hospitals." A study published in the Lancet journal found that around 55 per cent of heart attack deaths in India occur due to delays in seeking timely diagnosis. Mr Chadha concluded by saying, "Jaan hai, toh janch hai. But janch hogi, tabhi toh jaan bachegi (If there is life, then there is a diagnosis. But lives can only be saved if there is a diagnosis)."
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
To improve both crop and human nutrition, India needs a paradigm shift
Who would have imagined that India, which lived from 'ship to mouth' with heavy dependence on food aid under the US PL-480 programme in the 1960s, would emerge as the world's largest rice exporter? In 2024-25 (FY25), India exported 20.2 million tonnes (MT) of rice in a global market of 61 MT. The country also runs the world's largest food distribution programme, the PM-Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY), which provides 5 kg of free rice or wheat per person per month to more than 800 million people. Yet, the Food Corporation of India holds about 57 MT of rice — the highest stock in 20 years and nearly four times the buffer norm of 13.54 million tonnes as of July 1, 2025. Poverty, too, has receded significantly. The extreme poverty head count (those earning less than $3/day at 2021 PPP) dropped from 27.1 per cent in 2011 to just 5.3 per cent in 2022. Notwithstanding these achievements, malnutrition amongst children remains a challenge. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) (2019–21) reports that 35.5 per cent of children under five years of age are stunted, 32.1 per cent are underweight, and 19.3 per cent are wasted. Food security in India has evolved beyond merely ensuring caloric sufficiency; it must now encompass nutritional security as well. One critical, and often overlooked, factor here is the health of soils. Soil micronutrient deficiencies not only impair agricultural productivity but also degrade the nutritional quality of crops. Crops grown on nutrient-deficient soils often mirror those deficiencies, leading to a silent but pervasive form of malnutrition in humans. Take zinc. Its deficiency in soils translates into low zinc content in cereals like wheat and rice, which in turn is linked to childhood stunting — a condition that affects the physical development, long-term cognitive health, as well as the professional life of a person. Let us now turn to the status of Indian soils. Of more than 8.8 million soil samples tested under the Soil Health Card Scheme in 2024, less than 5 per cent have high or sufficient nitrogen (N), only 40 per cent have sufficient phosphate (P), 32 per cent have sufficient potash (K) and just 20 per cent are sufficient in soil organic carbon (SOC) (see graph). Importantly, SOC is a critical parameter defining the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil — these govern its holding capacity and nutrient use efficiency. There is also a debate as to how much SOC is considered sufficient. As per the Indian Institute of Soil Science (IISC), SOC in the range of 0.50- 0.75 per cent is adequate. But the World Food Laureate, Rattan Lal, who has worked on soil health throughout his career, prescribes that the carbon content in soils should be at least 1.5 to 2 per cent. Our soils also suffer from a deficiency of sulphur, as well as micronutrients like iron, zinc and boron. These deficiencies range from moderate to severe. It won't be an exaggeration to say that many parcels of Indian soils need to be immediately taken to an intensive care unit (ICU) to restore them to normal health so that they can produce nutritious food on a sustainable basis. We have also observed that in some parts of the country, nitrogen (N) is overused while phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are underused. For example, in Punjab, nitrogen use exceeds recommendations by 61 per cent, while potassium use is short by 89 per cent, and phosphorus use is short by 8 per cent. Telangana also mirrors this imbalance — it overuses N by 54 per cent but its use of K is 82 per cent less, and that of P is 13 per cent less. The situation is similar in several other states. The highly imbalanced use of N, P and K and the neglect of micronutrients leads to suboptimal agricultural productivity. Nationwide, the fertiliser-to-grain response ratio has declined significantly from 1:10 in the 1970s to a mere 1:2.7 in 2015. Moreover, the application of granular urea results in substantial nitrogen losses, with only 35-40 per cent of the nitrogen being absorbed by the crops. The remaining nitrogen is either released into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide — a greenhouse gas that is 273 times more potent than carbon dioxide — or leaches into groundwater, contaminating it with nitrates and making it unsafe for consumption. So, in a way, the imbalanced use of N, P and K is also increasing the pollution, rather than increasing grain yields. Additionally, a significant portion of urea is diverted to non-agricultural uses and also finds its way to neighbouring countries. This needs to change. To restore soil health and improve both crop and human nutrition, India needs a paradigm shift — from indiscriminate use of fertilisers to tailored and science-based soil nutrition management. This calls for more precise and customised fertilisation strategies, which are informed by rigorous soil testing and aligned with the nutritional needs of different soils and crops. Only when soils receive the nutrients do they produce food that nourishes rather than merely fills stomachs. This is no longer just an agricultural issue; it is a public health imperative. Recognising the urgency of this challenge, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and OCP Nutricrops have committed to collaborating to improve soil health in India and beyond. OCP Nutricrops brings cutting-edge expertise in soil nutrition and fertiliser solutions aimed at addressing global challenges in sustainable food production. The collaboration aims to develop, implement, and scale region-specific, data-driven soil nutrition solutions that enhance crop productivity while improving their nutritional profile. Thus, to truly move from plate to plough — and back to plate — we must start by healing Mother Earth. Only then can we walk as a healthy nation. Gulati is distinguished professor at ICRIER, Vergutz is chief scientific officer at OCP Nutricrops, and Juneja is research fellow at ICRIER. Views are personal
NDTV
5 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
After 'Sugar Boards', CBSE Rolls Out 'Oil Boards' In Schools To Tackle Obesity
In a continued effort to create healthier school environments, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced 'Oil Boards' across its affiliated schools, following its earlier directive to establish 'Sugar Boards' in May. The initiative aims to raise awareness about unhealthy dietary fats and combat the rising prevalence of obesity among students. The CBSE, in a circular dated July 15, has asked schools to display Oil Boards in common areas such as cafeterias, hallways, and staff rooms. These digital or printed boards will serve as visual reminders to avoid excessive consumption of unhealthy oils, particularly those found in fried and processed foods. Schools have also been encouraged to incorporate health messages on official stationery and to promote nutritious meals and physical activity during the school day. Citing alarming trends in obesity, the board referred to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), which found that more than 20 per cent of adults in urban India are either overweight or obese. A study published in The Lancet's Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 forecast further reveals that the number of obese and overweight adults in India could rise from 18 crore in 2021 to nearly 45 crore by 2050-placing India among the top countries grappling with obesity-related health issues. Poor diet and sedentary lifestyle continue to be the primary contributors to childhood obesity, the CBSE noted. To counter this, schools have been urged to adopt healthier food practices such as offering more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat alternatives, while limiting access to sugary beverages and high-fat snacks. Simple measures like encouraging stair use, short exercise sessions, and designated walking areas have also been recommended to boost daily physical activity. This directive follows CBSE's earlier initiative on May 14 that introduced 'Sugar Boards' in schools to monitor and reduce sugar intake among children. That circular highlighted the rising incidence of Type 2 diabetes in children-a condition traditionally seen in adults-linked to the easy availability of sugar-laden foods in schools. Data cited then showed that children aged 4 to 18 years consume nearly three times the recommended daily sugar limit, contributing to long-term health risks including obesity and metabolic disorders.
