Early childhood development

The Camp is part of NLUO’s commitment to creating child-friendly communities per NITI Ayog mandate and the Sustainable Development Goals mandate, and it marks a milestone in Project KUTUMB’s mission to ensure social inclusion of the vulnerable children.

Groups like Greenpeace India praised it for upholding the precautionary principle amid rising pollution levels, noting cement plants contribute significantly to air toxins like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, linked to acid rain and respiratory ailments.

Sri Lanka's “Policy for Digital Transformation of Education,” introduced in 2023, targets high-speed internet and devices in all schools by 2025. With international partnerships like UNESCO and Huawei, the nation aims for an inclusive digital economy, though balancing rapid change with safeguards remains key.

Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim.

Violence against children emerged as another pressing issue. The committee raised alarms over sexual violence, particularly against boys, gender-based violence, corporal punishment, and online abuse.

The American Psychological Association also made it clear that social media is not inherently beneficial or harmful to anyone, but each experience is affected by how one shapes their feed, who they choose to follow, etc.

Late at night at the Khamarbari intersection, groups of nearly 40 displaced individuals –including many children – huddle around small fires made from burning scraps of wood and paper. The flickering flames offer fleeting warmth against the biting chill, but the bare pavement beneath them provides no cushion or protection. Children in thin, filthy sweaters shiver as they chat or try to sleep, their bodies pressed together for shared heat.

Appreciating initiatives like Gift Milk and Shishu Sanjeevani by NDDB, Krishan Pal Gurjar said these programmes focus on aspirational districts, tribal areas, Anganwadi centres and government schools, ensuring alignment with local needs and last-mile delivery.