New Delhi: NHRC on Tuesday hosted a meeting of food security issues with its members said that the right to food, in addition to being legal rights, also needed to be seen with “human rights perspectives”.
During the meeting, the nutritional status of children, pregnant women and nursing mothers and the implementation of the ‘one nation’s nation one rations’ scheme after the Pandemic Covid-19 was also discussed, officials said.
The rights panel on Monday has said that reportedly, according to a comprehensive 2016-18 National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) report from the Ministry of Health Union, 34.7 percent of children under five years are categorized as obstacles in India, 33.4 percent of children – Children under five years of weight, 28.4 percent of teenagers aged 10-19 years are anemia.
On Tuesday, in a statement, the National Human Rights Commission offers some major advice on this issue.
The meeting chair, members of the NHRC Rajiv Jain said that the right to food, in addition to being legal rights, also needs to be seen with the perspective of human rights.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Various International Requirements and Sustainable Development Goals have underlined its importance, the statement said.
Therefore, the availability of food grains, sustainability and supply into seeking zero hunger needs to be assessed and evaluated on time to find a gap, if any, in policy and its implementation with some concrete suggestions, which can be discussed by the Commission.
For recommendations to the government, he said.
Previously, NHRC Secretary General Bimbadhar Pradhan said the Covid-19 pandemic had once again attracted attention to various aspects of access and portability of food rights.
One nation’s one ration card scheme is a “game changer” on the way ‘right for food’ overall, the statement said.
In addition to the inaugural session, the meeting was divided into three thematic sessions, including the nutrition of pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under six years and 6-14 years, and one nation of the Ration Card Scheme (onorc), challenges, and the way forward.
Some other important suggestions that arise during discussion, including the need to introduce policies for the poor and migrants on the MGNREGA path; Need to monitor data on the transfer of food granules to all parts vulnerable, including SC / ST by the state.
Strengthen the ICDS (integrated child development service) in terms of expanding its reach, financial and adequate staff and their wages; Expand the center of eating the middle day scheme to students to 12th grade from the 8th grade; The benefits of breastfeeding, are other suggestions.
Including all children and not only the first was born to the benefits under PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana); Handling the process of canceling fake rations with sensitivity so as to ensure no recipient is not excluded, it is also recommended.
Accompanizing the relationship between Aadhaar cards with a ration card limits the PMGKAY intent, the recommended rights panel, adds, the guidelines must be simplified and the system is not exclusively based on aadhaar and smart cards, need to be considered.
The right to food needs to be seen with the perspective of human rights too: NHRC
