Govt committed to preventing child deaths due to malnutrition: Maha Minister

Nagpur, Dec 12 Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Development Aditi Tatkare on Friday said in the state council that the government is striving to ensure that no child dies due to malnutrition.

In a reply to a half-hour discussion initiated by members Sanjay Khodke and others, she told the state council that the number of malnourished children had decreased from 246 in 2019-20 and further to 97 in 2025-26. The proportion of severely malnourished children was 0.79 per cent in 2024, and it has been reduced to 0.4 per cent in 2025. “An interdepartmental team comprising Women and Child Development, Health, and Tribal Development will be formed to combat malnutrition. Eradicating malnutrition has been given special priority in the Chief Minister's 100-day programme,” said Minister Tatkare.

Minister of State Meghna Sakore Bordikar, responding to the discussion, highlighted the efforts being made regarding health and nutritional support. “Various efforts are being made to ensure the health of mothers and strong children. A number of schemes are being implemented in remote areas. Better facilities are being provided in hospitals, and sanitation facilities are being improved. Counselling is being done to ensure all deliveries take place in hospitals. Through ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) 42,602 pregnant mothers and children in the state are receiving nutritional food benefits,” she said. She noted that child deaths in the state are not solely due to malnutrition, but are caused by various reasons.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar, while replying to a half-hour discussion in the Legislative Council, said that the state government is committed to spreading the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj across the country. He was replying to a half-hour discussion initiated by member Satyajit Tambe on the insufficient history writing on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the CBSE curriculum.

Minister Bhoyar said he will meet the Union Education Minister to include the glorious history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the CBSE curriculum and convey the importance of ensuring that lakhs of students across the country get a proper, in-depth and inspiring introduction to him.

He added that due to the state government's follow-up, a separate chapter on ' The Rise of Marathas ' has been included in the CBSE curriculum. He informed that a detailed proposal has been sent to NCERT through the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training. The state government has demanded that more rich information should be included on the history, geography of Maharashtra and especially on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

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