Despite economic growth, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening in Andhra Pradesh, according a report by Young Lives India.
Young Lives is a longitudinal study on childhood poverty initiated in 2001 across four countries — Ethiopia, India (in Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam. In India, Young Lives has been tracking 3,000 children across the State, bringing out the findings in the third round of survey.
“We need more effective operational capacity to ensure pro-poor schemes reach the poorest of children,' Dr Renu Singh, Director of Young Lives India, said.
The report points out that despite increase in consumption levels in India, a third of the Young Lives children are stunted. “In 2002, 28 per cent of them were stunted, but in 2009, it had reaching an alarming level of 42 per cent. Poor nutrition has serious long-term implications on children's health,” Dr Singh said.
A significant finding shows that there has been a considerable shift among children to private education. In 2002, 23 per cent of the Young Lives children were attending private primary schools at the age of 8, but by 2009 this rose to 44 per cent.