The fact that in excess of 10,000 children in Madhya Pradesh have been found to be in the severely-malnourished category – and this is an official figure – should serve as a wake-up call for the powers that be and unambiguously indicates the crying need for a serious course correction in, or better implementation of, the “development” agenda.

The shocking revelation was made by cruel statistics that have come to the fore until now through the medium of the state-wide Dastak Abhiyaan – which commenced on June 10 – under which field workers of anganwadis and other government-managed institutions covered 29,61,000 minors by going door to door in rural areas.

In the words of State Nodal Officer Pragya Tiwari, “2,408 of these kids were admitted on priority basis at nutrition rehabilitation centres; 539 seriously-anaemic cases benefitted through blood transfusion and 6,737 were provided institutionalised treatment for dehydration.”

The teams identified 2,351 young ones with congenital physical abnormalities. Supplementary Vitamin A doses were administered to 23,39,862 boys and girls between the ages of nine months and five years. Medical care was given to 1,390 infected ones under two months old. The campaign concludes on July 20.